There are nearly 1000 living bat species, accounting for almost a quarter of all mammal species.
Bats are the most important natural enemies of night-flying insect pests (especially mosquitoes) One of North America's most common bats, the little brown bat, can consume as many as 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Bats are important pollinators of plants, pollinating at least 500 species,including bananas, mangoes, cashews, dates, figs, and agave, from which tequila is produced. In the United States, nearly 40 percent of native bat species are currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act or are official candidates for inclusion on the nation's endangered species list. |