Read the text. For questions 1-7, choose from the species A-D.

Bat Facts

A) Egyptian Fruit Bat

These bats are only 15 cm long, but their wingspan can be 60 cm! They live in parts of Africa, Pakistan and India and can survive in a wide variety of habitats, as long as they have a cave or dark area of forest to shelter in during the day. They sleep in groups of around 1,000 individuals and usually spend their whole lives in the same colony. They use echolocation to move around safely at night and their high-pitched whistles are thought to be the loudest of any bat species! It is difficult to estimate how many Egyptian fruit bats there are, but it seems that they are not endangered at this time. Snakes and birds of prey are possible predators, but the greatest danger comes from humans who poison them to stop them eating their crops.

B) Vampire Bat

There are many traditional stories about these bats in Central and South America. They have the same wide mouth and long sharp teeth as vampires in films. However, it’s hard to be frightened of these little creatures when you find out they weigh just over 50 grams! Vampire bats get their name from the food they consume: the blood of other creatures. They don’t kill other animals, though. They use echolocation to find sleeping animals at night, then make a hole in their skin with their sharp teeth and lick the blood that comes out. The animals they feed on rarely wake up. Vampire bats are the only species of bats that share their food, and have much stronger legs than other species in an upright position, which means they can walk and even run!

C) Bumblebee Bat

This tiny creature is properly called Kitti’s hog-nosed bat because its nose looks similar to a pig’s snout. It is the smallest species of bat on Earth. Its body is about 2.5 cm long and it weighs just seven grams! It is found in a specific area of south-east Asia – west Thailand, including the Sai Yok National Park, and neighbouring south-east Burma – and was only discovered in the 1970s. While most bats can be found in very large colonies, bumblebee bat colonies usually have between 100 and 500 individuals. Sometimes, there can be even less. They eat insects and, in most cases, catch and consume them while flying along! They use echolocation to navigate in the dark and to avoid their main predators; cats, birds, squirrels and snakes.

D) Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox

Although these creatures aren’t related to foxes, their faces are a similar shape, and this is what has led to their colloquial name. Flying foxes are actually fruit bats, and this particular species is quite rare. They are only found in the caves and rainforest of the Philippines, and are also currently endangered as a result of poaching. Their wingspan can be up to 1.5 metres, so it’s no surprise they weigh over a kilogram when fully-grown. They sleep in large colonies for warmth and safety and feed on fruit such as figs. They can fly up to 40 kilometres in one night in their search for food. They also like taking baths and use their large wings to scoop up water and pour it over themselves!


Which species of bat:

1 is featured in folk tales?
2 can live in many different environments?
3 is in danger because of hunting?
4 has a diet of only liquid food?
5 makes more noise than any other bats?
6 was discovered in the last century?
7 flies great distances in order to find food?