Hi there! I’m Doug, and today I got something really cool in the mail. Can you guess what it is? Here’s a hint: it’s a place where animals with wings can sleep. It’s not a birdhouse; it’s a bat house! I’m hoping some bats will come and live in it.
Shayla has a question about bats. She asks, “Do bats really drink blood?” That’s a super interesting question! Let’s find out more about these fascinating creatures.
Some bats, called vampire bats, do drink blood. But don’t worry, they mostly drink blood from animals, not people. Here’s a picture of a vampire bat on a pig’s back. The pig usually doesn’t even feel it!
Vampire bats live in places like South America, Central America, parts of Mexico, and the southern part of Texas. But there are many other kinds of bats too—hundreds of them!
Most bats don’t drink blood. They eat other things. For example, many bats love to eat insects. They catch bugs like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. Did you know one little bat can eat over 1,000 mosquitoes in just one night? That’s why some people like having bats around their homes. The bats help keep the mosquito numbers down!
Not all bats eat insects. Some bats enjoy eating fruit. You might see them munching on a pear or a piece of melon. Bats are everywhere, not just in caves. You might even see them in your city!
If you want to see a bat, look outside in the evening or at night. If you spot something that looks like a tiny bird flying around, take a closer look—it might be a bat!
Remember, bats are not dangerous unless you touch them. Sometimes they can carry diseases, so never pick up a dead or injured bat. But don’t be scared of them flying around. They’re fun to watch, and they help us by eating pesky mosquitoes!
So, go outside this evening and see if you can find a bat flying around. Thanks, Shayla, for your great question!
For the next episode, I have three questions you can vote on: Why do owls say, “Hoo?” How are candy bars made? Or why does it hail sometimes when it rains? After the video, you can vote for the question you want answered. Stay curious, and see you next time!
Bat Observation Journal: Spend an evening outside with a grown-up and try to spot some bats. Write down what you see in a special bat journal. How many bats did you see? What time did they come out? Did they fly fast or slow? Draw a picture of what you saw. This will help you learn more about when and where bats are active.
Build a Bat House: With the help of an adult, create a simple bat house using a small wooden box. Decorate it with non-toxic paint. Hang it in your backyard or a nearby park. Check it every week to see if any bats have moved in. This activity helps you understand where bats like to live and why they are important for our environment.
Bat Diet Experiment: Pretend you are a bat for a day! Create a “bat menu” using foods that bats eat, like fruit and pretend insects (you can use raisins or small pieces of cereal). Try eating your “bat food” with your eyes closed to see how bats might eat at night. Talk about which foods you liked and why bats might choose certain foods over others.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, it’s Doug. I just received something in the mail, and I’m really excited. Can you guess what it is? I’ll give you a hint: animals that have wings come and sleep in there. It’s not a birdhouse; it’s a bat house. If I’m lucky, I might have bats living in this!
Someone named Shayla has a question about bats. Let’s give her a call.
Hi Doug.
Hi Shayla! I have a question for you. Do bats really drink blood?
That’s a great question! Now, wait a second. Bats drink blood? As their food? Here’s a close-up of a real bat hanging upside down. Could it really be that this cute little creature drinks blood for its food? What do you think bats eat? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss.
OK, you ready? It’s true! There are bats that drink blood. They’re called vampire bats. They’re named after the fictional creatures that people dress up as for Halloween. In stories, vampires suck the blood of people. While vampires may not be real, vampire bats definitely are.
So, do vampire bats suck people’s blood? The answer is not really. Vampire bats mostly drink blood from animals. You can see it for yourself here. This is a vampire bat on the back of a pig. When vampire bats do this, it usually doesn’t even hurt the animal; most animals barely notice it.
Vampire bats don’t live everywhere. They’re only found in South America, Central America, parts of Mexico, and the southern part of Texas. But there are many other kinds of bats—hundreds of different species! Most bats don’t drink blood; they eat other kinds of food.
For example, see if you can figure out what this kind of bat eats. That’s the bat flying around; it’s chasing something. Here’s a slowed-down video. There! Got it. It’s catching bugs. That’s what most bats eat—they consume insects like mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. Scientists have discovered that some bats have a huge appetite for insects. One little bat can eat over 1,000 mosquitoes in a single night!
Because of this, some people actually want to have bats near their homes, which is why they hang up bat boxes for bats to live in. The more bats there are to eat mosquitoes, the fewer mosquitoes there are to bite people.
But not all bats eat insects. Some kinds of bats eat fruit, like these bats here munching on a pear and a piece of melon. You probably have bats where you live. They don’t just live in caves; bats are everywhere! I live in a city, and I see them here. You just have to know how to spot them.
Here’s a tip: If you notice something that looks like a little bird flying around in the late evening or nighttime, look closely because it’s probably a bat.
In summary, there are all kinds of different bats, and they eat different things. Most of them eat insects, but some eat fruit, and a few drink blood. By the way, the only way bats might be dangerous is if you touch them because sometimes they carry diseases, so never pick up a dead or injured bat off the ground. But bats won’t bother you, so there’s no reason to be scared of them flying around. They’re actually fun to see! And since some of them eat mosquitoes, people find it great to have them around.
Go look outside this evening and see if you can find a bat flying around. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Shayla, for asking it!
Now, for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and found three questions submitted to me that I’m thinking about answering. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: why do owls say, “Hoo?” How are candy bars made? Or why does it hail sometimes when it rains?
So submit your vote when the video is over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week!
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