Bats A to Z

1. Bats A to Z An alphabet book about bats Dana LeBlanc - Lubee Bat Conservancy

2. A is for appetite. Fruit bats can eat half their body weight each night in fruit, leaves, flowers, pollen and nectar. Photo: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) and browse feeder - Dana LeBlanc

3. Bis for bones. Bats have thin strong bones which aid them in flight. Photo: Neotropical fruit bat measurement - Dana LeBlanc

4. Cis for claws. Bats have claws on their thumbs and toes. Photos: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc

5. D is for deserts. Several species of bats live in deserts and help pollinate plants like the Saguaro cactus. Photo: Desert – Pam Thomas

6. E is for echolocation. Insect-eating bats use sound to identify sources of food and to navigate in the dark. They use their ears to listen for echoes. Photo: Mexican free-tailed bat Dr. Darryl Heard All bats have eyes, but some can only see in black and white. Photo: Jamaican fruit bat Dr. Darryl Heard

7. F is for food. Bats will eat a wide variety of items such as: fruit, flowers, frogs, and fish. Photo: Floss tree – Dana LeBlanc Photo: Malayan flying fox and pumpkin – Dana LeBlanc

8. G is for giants. There are several giant flying foxes that live in Asia. These bats can have six foot wing spans and live to be 20 years old. Photo: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus)– Dana LeBlanc

9. H is for hair. Bats are mammals and they have hair or fur. Bats also hang upside when they are resting. Photo: Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis) and basket – Dana LeBlanc

10. Iis for insects. Bats in the United States are known for eating a variety of insect pests. Photos: Dana LeBlanc

11. J is for juice. Fruit bats chew fruit and flowers and drink the juice. They spit out the fiber. Photo: Malayan flying fox and nectar feeder – Dana LeBlanc

12. K is for kingdom. There are over a thousand different species of bats in the world. They are an important part of the animal kingdom. Photo: Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) – Dana LeBlanc

13. Lis for leaves. Fruit bats eat a wide variety of leaves. Some bats will also build “tents” in foliage. Photo: Dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) – Dana LeBlanc

14. M is for milk. Mammals feed their babies milk until they are able to eat solid food. Photo: Malayan flying fox pup (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc

15. N is for nocturnal. Nocturnal animals are active at night and sleep during the day. Photo: Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) in flight cage – Dana LeBlanc

16. O is for oceans. Many rare bat species live on islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Photo: Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis) – Dr. Darryl Heard Photos: Beach and Scuba diver – Pam Thomas

17. P is for pup, which is the term used for a baby bat. P is also for patagium, which is the double layer of skin that makes up the wings. Photos: Malayan flying fox pups (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc

18. Q is for quarrel. Bats will fight over food and territories just like other animals. Photo: Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) with a fig – Dana LeBlanc

19. R is for roost which is a place that bats hang upside down and rest. Photos: Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) – Dana LeBlanc

20. S is for sense of smell. Bats like the spear-nosed fruit bat use their noses to find food. Photos: Spear-nosed fruit bat (Phyllostomus hastatus) – Dana LeBlanc

21. T is tragus, a small projection in the ear that helps the bat to hear. Some bats also have long tongues while others have a tail. Photo: Neotropical fruit bat – Dr. Darryl Heard Photo: Malayan flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) – Dana LeBlanc

22. U is for unique. Bats are unique among mammals Because they are the only ones that can truly fly. Photo: Dog-faced fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis) – Dana LeBlanc Photo: Malayan flying fox with dates on chain – Dana LeBlanc

23. V is for vision. All bats can see using their eyes, but some bats can also see through sound called echolocation. Photo: Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus agyptiacus) – Dr. Darryl Heard Photo: Short-tailed leaf-nosed bat (Carollia perspicillata) – Dr. Darryl Heard

24. W is for wings. Bat use their wings not only to fly, but to cool themselves by fanning. Photos: Little golden-mantled flying foxes (Pteropus pumilus) – Dana LeBlanc

25. Xis for x-ray. Veterinarians use x-rays to take pictures of an animal to check for fractured bones and other health problems. Photos: Flying fox radiographs – Dr. Darryl Heard

26. Y is for you. Some bats are in trouble and could go extinct if we don’t protect them in the wild. Photo: Florida Museum of Natural History Presentation – Dr. Allyson Walsh

27. Z is for zoos. Zoos educate the public about bats and save species that are rare and endangered. The golden bat (Pteropus rodricensis) can be found in many zoos, but in nature only exists on one island. Photos: Dana LeBlanc