Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Themes
  • Videos
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Themes
Videos
App & Extension
  • United States
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. United States
  3. 2019
  4. October 29
  5. Straw-colored fruit bats in Kasanka National Park, Zambia
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Straw-colored fruit bats in Kasanka National Park, Zambia

October 29, 2019

Straw-colored fruit bats in Kasanka National Park, Zambia

© Nick Garbutt/Minden Picture

And the skies filled with bats…. And the skies filled with bats…

As if right on cue for Halloween, this is the time of year when millions of straw-colored fruit bats begin to descend on Zambia's Kasanka National Park. They come in such vast numbers that it's thought to be one of the largest concentrations of mammals in the world. From the end of October to mid-December, these large fruit-eating bats pack into a small area in the forest to roost. But when the sun begins to set, they start to swarm, darkening the skies as they head out to gorge on fruit in the Mushitu swamp forest. Experts believe their migration starts about 2,000 miles north, in Congo.

There are over 1,000 species of bats, but they all fit neatly into one of two categories: microbats or megabats. The straw-colored fruit bat, if you didn't guess, is of the mega variety. They are the most widely distributed of all African fruit bats and have adapted to a variety of habitats. Because their habitat extends to such great distances, straw-colored fruit bats play a critical role as pollinators and dispersers of seeds. They're highly social, too, living in large groups called colonies that can number from the thousands upward to a million. But don't worry, they do not drink blood. For them, fruit is life.

tree nature screenshot bird bunch several

Related Images

Arvada Skatepark, Arvada, ColoradoArvada Skatepark, Arvada, Colorado
The National Aquatics Center in Beijing, ChinaThe National Aquatics Center in Beijing, China
Andromeda galaxyAndromeda galaxy
Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, MexicoPalacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, Mexico
Mont Choisy Beach, MauritiusMont Choisy Beach, Mauritius
Red squirrel in the Highlands of ScotlandRed squirrel in the Highlands of Scotland
Bastei Bridge above the Elbe River in Saxon Switzerland National Park, GermanyBastei Bridge above the Elbe River in Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany
Oil lamps being arranged on rangoli designs during DiwaliOil lamps being arranged on rangoli designs during Diwali

Today on Bing

Ravens in Juneau, Alaska

Ravens in Juneau, Alaska

Oct 29, 2021
Mazezilla corn maze at Klingel's Farm in Pennsylvania

Mazezilla corn maze at Klingel's Farm in Pennsylvania

Oct 29, 2020
A pumpkin patch in Columbia County, Pennsylvania

A pumpkin patch in Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Oct 29, 2018
Snow leopard in the Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

Snow leopard in the Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

Oct 29, 2017
Grey-headed flying fox

Grey-headed flying fox

Oct 29, 2016

Related Tags

screenshot several art indoor painting night aerial tree light outdoor object universe galaxy outer space star nebula space astronomy astronomical object milky way moon
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
Download 1920x1080
  • © 2022 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.