Bats are all around us and have coexisted with humans for tens of thousands of years.
They live in our attics and under our porches. Bats account for 20 percent of all mammal species on Earth and live on every continent (except Antarctica). Some are as small as a bumblebee and others have wingspans that could envelop an adult human. Bats eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour, making our summertime camping trips more bearable. They live in colonies with thousands of their cousins, where they hang upside-down and groom each other, like monkeys hanging from monkey bars. These winged wonders have zipped and pinged through the night skies for seventy million years, but today almost 25 percent of bat species are at risk of extinction. In Bat Planet, discover the biology, habitat, risks to survival and how you can help one of the most widespread, diverse and fascinating groups of animals on Earth.
Key Selling Points:
- This STEM title introduces readers to the bats of North America, their biology, habitat and threats to survival. It also gives young readers tools to understand and help bats in their own communities.
- Bats represent 20 percent of all mammal species on Earth and are essential to our ecosystems. Bats eat millions of insects a year. An individual bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour, which keeps our farm fields pest-free and our summer canoe trips bearable.
- Bats are in danger. Of the more than 1,400 bat species on Earth, almost 25 percent are at risk of extinction. They are also making headlines because of threats from wind turbines and invasive fungus.
- Bats are often unknown, misunderstood and feared. They are swathed in myths about rabies, blood-sucking and getting stuck in your hair.
- Neil Griffin is a former wildlife biologist. He studied bats in Canada’s far north, and he was an artist-in-residence for Ocean Network’s Canada.
Part of the nonfiction Orca Wild series for middle-grade readers and illustrated with color photographs throughout, this book explores bats and their biology, habitat, relationship with humans and threats to their survival.
