[image from Bats are Beautiful ]Go on a BatQuest
"So dark of wing and king of craft, line of all night flyers, the master is the bat." -- Ms. Frizzle
[image from Bats are Beautiful ]
Bats are unusual animals and endangered. They are the only mammal that flies. They also use an advanced system of echolocation for navigation. Did you know that there are almost 1000 kinds of bats located all around the world? There are some bats as small as a jelly bean and some as large as a small dog.
On this BatQuest, it is your mission to find out the truth about bats. There are many myths about bats. You've heard of "blind as a bat." In this quest, it will be your duty to find out many of the wonders of bats and dispel these myths.
Work with a partner to have more fun searching and sharing what you find about bats. Find out why bats should be recognized as an important animal and should be treated with respect.
BATS 
Introduction
1. Go visit this Bat Site (http://www.birminghamzoo.com/ao/bats.htm) and see how many different kinds of bats there are.
Count how many are found in North America and are there any that live close to where you live?
2. Describe what a
bat looks like and draw a picture of one of the bats you found at
one of these sites:
BATS (http://desertusa.com/jan97/du_bats.html)
BCI (http://www.batcon.org//cover.html)
3. Using the previous sites, what are some of the habits of bats?
4. **Find out about echolocation at this site: (http://www.civil.mtu.edu/~athogg/untitled.jpg)
**Use the diagram at this site and draw your own picture of how echolocation works.
**How does a bat find its way around using echolocation? How does a bat find its food using echolocation?
5. Go to this bats site: (http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/london/bats/bats.html) and write about some of the myths that have been told about bats.
Your Quest
1. Write a story about a bat family. Use information about their life cycle and family life from some of the websites above.
2. Go to the Bat
Year (http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/london/bats/batyear.html)
**Develop your own timeline describing what happens over a year
in the life of a bat. **Also describe what hibernation is.
3. Find out some fun facts about Vampire Bats (http://www.seaworld.org/animal_bytes/vampire_batab.html) Do they really drink blood? Where do they live?
4. What bats eat
insects? How much can they eat each night? What bats eat fruit
and flowers? What bats eat small animals? How many types of bats
eat blood? a.(http://eesc.orst.edu/AgComWebFile/Garden/Wildlife/batbugzap.html)
b.(
http://www.anca.gov.au/plants/birdnbat/batfact.htm)
c.( http://luna.cas.usf.edu/~rviggian/batspage.htm)
5. What is guano? Why would we use it in our gardens?
6. Read some of the poems at the Bat Poet Page (http://www.nyx.net/~jbuzbee/poetry.html) and then write a poem about bats.
7. Test your
knowledge of bats with the Bat Quiz. (http://www.bats.org.uk/yp1.htm)
In Conclusion
Review the myths at Incredible Bats (http://www.nlenx.com/bats/). Using the information you have gathered on your quest, write an article for the newspaper defending why bats are important animals for our world and should be regarded with respect. Be sure to include evidence from your quest to defend your opinions.
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