this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
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Bats

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Bats are cool

Bats are the only true flying mammals. There are over 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found on nearly every part of the planet. Not only are they cute, they are also important...

Studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Without bats’ pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control we wouldn’t have bananas, avocados, mangoes, agave, or cacao… that’s right, bats bring us tequila and chocolate!

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Our community's mascot is Baxter. Baxter is an Egyptian fruit bat that was cruelly kept alone and confined to a small cage for 12 years before being rescued by a bat sanctuary. You can read the full story by clicking on his name.

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In late January, African straw-colored fruit bat Jessica gave birth. At 18 years old (the average life expectancy for this species), she is one of the oldest straw-colored fruit bats to give birth in human care. Of all mammals, fruit bats have the largest-sized babies in comparison to their body size: a female that weighs 300g will give birth to a pup that weighs 50g!

Sadly, the natural weight of the pup may have contributed to Jessica experiencing a critical injury after giving birth. She was humanely euthanized due to the significant nature of the injury and the very poor chance of making a recovery.

The African rainforest team immediately stepped in to begin hand-rearing the pup, now named Jesse in honor of his mom. He receives around-the-clock care, including feedings every four hours: the zoo’s nutrition team designed a special milk formula that is made fresh every 24 hours just for him. Although to date he has only been eating formula, he will soon be introduced to pureed fruit.

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[–] staticblanket@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

Hang in there, Jesse!