MAMMAL MONDAY # 7

MAMMAL MONDAY #7

Happy Mammal Monday! We’re excited to be featuring a mammal that flies! Can you believe there are mammals that can fly like birds? Us either- but they are fantastic! Let’s meet one!

MEET THE EGYPTIAN ROUSETTE!

Range/Habitat: N Africa-West and East Coast Africa

Diet: Fruigivore: fruit

Length/Weight: 5 ½ – 6 ½ “/ 3-4oz

Conservation Status: Common

Fun Facts:

• Egyptian Rousettes are also known as the Egyptian Fruit Bat.
• They are the only fruit bats to use echolocation. (This is when an animal sends out a sound. They judge how far away something is, by how long it takes for the sound to come back to them.)
• These bats roost in caves instead of trees. They often hang together to keep warm! Snuggly!
• Like most bats the Egyptian Rousette is nocturnal (active at night).
• They have a wingspan of about 2 feet.
•  They are dark brown to gray.

We love flying mammals, especially bats! Did you know there are about 1,100 species of bats in the world? We better get to reading about these special mammals! Do you have a favorite bat?