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A world with fewer bats around is one that has failed to understand the critical role they play in ecosystems

·         Bats are the largest mammalian group after rodents, with over 1,300 species making up a quarter of all mammals.

·         They occur on all continents except Antarctica and are particularly various in South Asia, with 114 species of insect-eating bats and fourteen fruit bats, conjointly called “flying foxes”, occurring in India.

·         They roost in massive colonies on trees, tree hollows, caves, rock crevices and abandoned manmade structures.

·         They play a unique role in maintaining ecosystem structure, making a singular contribution to our food production, economy and well-being.

·         They are the only mammals capable of true flight and have a singular sonar-based echolocation mechanism to capture prey at night.

·         Their Significance – Seed dispersion – The diet of fruit-eating bats consists mostly of flowers and fruits like mangoes, bananas, guavas, custard apples, figs, tamarind and lots of species of forest trees.

·         Pollination – Studies have found that bats play a significant role in pollenation, in the main of large-flowered plants, and in crop protection.

·         Production boost – Some large insectivorous bats are also reported to feed on small rodents.

·         Soil fertility – Bat droppings give organic input to soil and facilitate nutrient transfer, contributive to soil fertility and agricultural productivity.

·         Health advantages – contribute to human health by reducing populations of mosquitoes and different insect vectors that spread malaria, dengue, chikungunya and different diseases.

 

Why do bats never fall sick?

Bats are reservoirs for viruses, however they neer fall sick. Flying results in toxic  by-products that would damage cell contents.

Bats have evolved mechanisms to avoid such damage by suppressing their immune systems.

Their conservation consistent with the IUCN, regarding five per cent of bats are classified as vulnerable and another eleven per cent are information deficient.

Further, some species of fruit bats are categorized under Schedule five of the wildlife (Protection) Act, 1973, along side alternative vermin species like rats, creating it tough to lawfully conserve them.

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