Test 1 Flashcards
What is molting?
Shedding of hair often once or twice a year
This process allows animals to replace old fur with new, which can be important for insulation and appearance.
How many species of bats are there?
1474 species of bats
What order are bats and are they considered successful among mammals?
Chiroptera
One of the most successful orders besides rodents
What fraction of mammals are bats and rodents combined?
2/3 of mammals are bats and rodents (2,693)
Where are bats distributed?
Worldwide, absent only in areas above treelines and few isolated islands
What are the two suborders of bats?
Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera
What is a guild in ecology?
A group of species or animals that perform similar ecological roles
What are the feeding guilds among bats.
- Insectivorous Bats
- Fruit-eating Bats
• Vampire - Flower-feeding Bats
- Carnivorous Bats
- Fish-eating Bats
True or False: Bats are only found in tropical regions.
False
How many bats come out every night at the Congress Street Bridge in Austin, TX?
3 million bats
All free-tailed bats
What is the largest congregation of mammals anywhere in the world?
Bracken Cave
Estimated 20 million bats come out every night
How much do 20 million bats eat in terms of insects every night?
3 dump trucks worth of insects
This highlights the significant ecological role of bats in pest control
How much do bats save Texas farmers in pesticides each year?
$3 billion
A study suggests this amount saved due to bats eating agricultural pests
What is the exclusive pollinator for the blue agave?
Bats
Bats play a crucial role in the pollination of certain plants
What role do bats play in tropical rainforests?
Seed dispersal
Bats’ digestive systems keep seeds intact, unlike birds
How many species of fish-eating bats are there?
3 species
They locate fish by detecting rises in the water
What do vampire bats feed on?
Blood
2 species feed on mammal blood and 1 on bird blood
What type of teeth do vampire bats use to feed?
Front incisors
They do not use canines for feeding
How do vampire bats approach their prey?
Walk/run up to prey, nip, lick wounds
They consume a small amount of blood, about one teaspoon
What is unique about the saliva of vampire bats?
Contains anticoagulants
This allows them to feed on blood without clotting
What percentage of blood is water that vampire bats consume?
95%
This high water content aids in hydration during feeding.
What can vampire bat kidneys do while consuming blood?
Kick into super high year peeing
This allows them to manage excess fluid intake.
What is the initial form of nitrogenous waste produced by metabolizing protein?
Ammonia
Ammonia is converted to urea, which requires water for excretion.
How do vampire bats manage nitrogenous waste without sufficient water?
Switch kidneys to conservative mode
This adaptation helps them retain water.
What is the body fat range of vampire bats?
5%
This low body fat necessitates feeding every 2-3 days.
What social behavior do vampire bats exhibit to combat hunger?
Shared blood meal
This behavior helps them survive periods without food.
What is the minimum temperature vampire bats can tolerate?
68 degrees
Anything below this temperature is intolerable for them.
What unique classification do bats hold in the animal kingdom?
True flying mammals
This distinguishes them from other mammals that can glide.
What type of vision do most bats have due to the lack of cones in their eyes?
Black and white vision
This adaptation is typical for nocturnal animals.
Who studied bats in 1793 and what methodology did he use?
Spallazani studied bats by blinding them and plugging their ears
What was Spallazani’s conclusion about bats’ navigation?
Bats see out of their ears
Who discovered true echolocation in bats and in which decade?
Donald Griffin discovered true echolocation in the 1930s
What equipment did Donald Griffin use to document bat calls?
Ex-military equipment that can heal ultrasonic
Is echolocation unique to bats?
No, echolocation is not unique to bats
What percentage of animals typically use acoustical location?
20% of animals
How precise is bat echolocation in detecting objects?
Bats can detect things as thin as a human hair
Which order of bats primarily use echolocation?
Microbats, not macrobats
What is the exception among macrochirptera bats that can echolocate?
The Egyptian tomb bat (megabat) can echolocate using tongue clicks
What is the hearing range for bats?
Bats can hear between 10 - 200 kHz
What is the hearing range for humans?
Humans can hear between 0.02 - 20 kHz
What is the hearing range for old humans?
Old humans can hear between 5 - 15 kHz
What type of sounds can elephants hear?
Infrasonic sounds (lower frequency)
Why do bats need to produce very loud sounds?
High frequency sounds do not travel well and attenuate quickly
What is unique about bats among mammals?
Bats are the only mammals that fly
This distinguishes them from other mammals.
What is the primary purpose of hibernation in bats?
To conserve energy through conserving heat
Hibernation allows bats to survive periods of low food availability.
What phenomenon is observed in some bats related to migration?
Reverse migration
Some bats migrate to colder locations to hibernate.
What is a critical requirement for bat hibernation?
Specific temperature
Bats need consistent temperatures for effective hibernation.
Why do some bats migrate before hibernation?
Difficult to find very specific hibernation sites with consistent temperatures
This migration helps them find suitable conditions.
When do bats typically start hibernation?
During the middle of October
This timing is related to environmental changes.
What triggers all bats to enter hibernation at the same time?
The first frost
This phenomenon occurs regardless of geographical location.
Do bats feed before hibernation?
Yes, bats feed until the very last second before going into hibernation
This behavior maximizes their energy reserves.
True or False: All bats hibernate at different times based on their location.
False
All bats go into hibernation at the same time, influenced by the first frost.
Fill in the blank: Bats will migrate to _______ locations to hibernate.
colder
This helps them find suitable hibernation conditions.
Why is it important for pregnancy to occur during spring?
To ensure that resources are most plentiful
This timing enhances the chances of survival for the offspring.
What issue arises with breeding in spring for bats?
Asynchronous departure after waking from hibernation
Bats may not coordinate their breeding effectively due to differing timings of hibernation.
What reproductive strategy do female bats employ during winter?
They store sperm in their reproductive tract
This allows for delayed ovulation when they leave hibernation in spring.
What is delayed ovulation in bats?
A reproductive strategy where females ovulate after storing sperm during winter
This ensures that reproduction coincides with favorable conditions.
What type of colonies do female bats form?
Maternity colonies
These colonies are for the purpose of raising their young.
Do female bats raise young from other females?
No, females raise ONLY their own young
This ensures that maternal investment is directed solely towards their offspring.
What is the traditional relationship between reproductive output and size in mammals?
Smaller mammals have larger reproductive output, while larger mammals have smaller reproductive output
This trend is generally observed in many mammal species.
How do bats differ from the traditional reproductive output trend?
Bats produce very few offspring
Females typically produce only ONE pup once a year.
What is the traditional relationship between lifespan and size in mammals?
Smaller mammals have smaller lifespans, while larger mammals have larger lifespans
This trend is observed across many species but may not apply universally.
What is the intensity of the calls produced by whispering bats?
200 dynes/second, the same intensity as standing 6ft away from a jet engine
What are the three evolutionary traits bats have to prevent deafness?
- Tighten down tendon tympanic membrane to reduce vibrations
- Insulated ear separated from skull
- Reduce nervous signal going up to the brain
Why do bats use high frequency sounds?
- Little competition and interference
- Direct relationship between frequency and prey size
What is the relationship between frequency and prey size in bats?
High frequencies have smaller wavelengths that reflect well off objects of similar size
What are the approximate sizes of bugs that bats are after?
1/2 - 1/4 in
Fill in the blank: Bigger bats use _______ frequencies and smaller bats have _______ frequencies.
[lower] frequencies and [higher] frequencies
What happens to the nervous signals in bats to help prevent deafness?
They can reduce (attenuate) the nervous signal going up to the brain
What type of calls do bats use to navigate?
cF calls and FM calls
cF stands for constant frequency, while FM stands for frequency modulation.
What phenomenon do bats listen for when using echolocation?
Doppler effect
The Doppler effect helps bats determine if an object is moving closer or farther away.
What components do most bat calls consist of?
FM and CF portions
This allows bats to effectively navigate and locate prey.
What is the feeding buzz in bats?
Calls made up to 200 times per second as they get close to prey
This rapid calling indicates that bats are actively feeding.
What is the range of temperatures on Earth?
-50°C to 50°C or -60°F to 120°F
These extreme temperatures can affect the survival of various species.
What is the survival body temperature range for mammals?
0°C to 45°C or 32°F to 108°F
This range indicates the limits within which mammals can function.
At what temperature are mammals typically active?
Between 30°C and 40°C
This range is crucial for maintaining metabolic functions.
What is the average body temperature of humans?
98.6°F
This temperature is vital for optimal enzyme function and overall health.
What happens to proteins at 106°F?
They denature
Denaturation can lead to loss of function and potential death.
How does temperature affect nerve firing speed?
For every 10°C increase, nerves fire twice as fast; for every 10°C decrease, speed is cut in half
This relationship shows the importance of temperature in neural activity.
What is the average body temperature of cats?
102°F
Cats can dissipate heat easily due to their smaller size.
Why do larger animals have lower body temperatures compared to smaller ones?
Larger animals have more difficulty dissipating heat
This is due to their greater mass and surface area ratio.
What is the term for animals that maintain a relatively constant body temperature?
Homeothermic
Homeothermic animals are energetically expensive to maintain their body temperature.
What is the term for animals that experience greater fluctuations in body temperature but still have a standard operating temperature?
Heterothermic
Examples include some mammals, such as bats.
What is hibernation?
A state where animals turn down metabolism and decrease energy expenditure
Hibernation involves a drop in body temperature and slow breathing, and varies by species.
List some physiological changes that occur during hibernation.
- Slow breathing
- Reduced heart rate
- Metabolism decreases
- Win 1° of ambient temperature
These changes help conserve energy during hibernation.
What are some reasons animals may arise from hibernation?
- To take a nap
- To eliminate accumulated nitrogenous waste
- To drink water
- To stretch and circulate
- To prevent muscle atrophy
Arousal from hibernation is energetically expensive.
How expensive is it for an animal to arouse from hibernation?
10-30 days of fat reserves
The duration varies and is dependent on the species.
What is the significance of fat reserves during hibernation?
They are crucial for sustaining energy needs during the hibernation period
Animals can lose up to 30% to 10% of their body fat over the hibernation period.
What is torpor?
A shorter state similar to hibernation
It allows animals to save 90-95% of energy.
What is estivations purpose?
To reduce internal metabolism and prevent body heat build-up during hot/dry weather
Estivation is a survival strategy in extreme temperatures.
True or False: Hibernation is a state of sleep.
False
Hibernation is not the same as sleep; it involves metabolic changes.
Which animals are known to hibernate?
- Rodents
- Bats
Different species exhibit various hibernation patterns.
