Interview-with-the-Vampire
- Description
- JOURNALING: Interview with the Vampire –
(actually the Pteropus Vampyrus at the Columbus Zoo 9-15-15).
QUESTION: Should humans be concerned about you sucking our blood?
ANSWER: There are over 1200 species of bats in the world and only 3 receive nourishment via blood. I, myself enjoy fruits and vegetables, hence the more common name of “Fruit Bat” or “Flying Fox”.
QUESTION: What is the size range of bats.
ANSWER: I’m one of the largest bats in the world with a wingspan of almost five feet. The smallest bats are about the size of a bumblebee.
QUESTION: Aren’t you just a flying rodent?
ANSWER: Absolutely not. Bats are mammals, the only mammal capable of powered flight – others such as “flying squirrels” actually just glide.
QUESTION: What is the most common misconception about bats?
ANSWER: That we are pests – but we actually keep the insect population under control. One bat can eat thousands of insects in just one night. We also reseed deforested land and help pollinate plants.
QUESTION: Is it true all bats are blind?
ANSWER: Although some of my species use high-frequency sounds to locate insects in midair, Flying Foxes actually use our keen eyesight and sharp olfactory sense to find food.
CREDITS: “Time Teller”, etc by Danyale; “Haunted”, Kristin Aagard; “Of Wishes, Hopes and Dreams”, Multi