When and where do microbats have their babies?
Microbat babies are born in the Spring/Summer when days are warm and food is plentiful. Most species give birth to one young per year. Newborn microbats are not furred and their eyes are closed at first. By 6-8 weeks, they are fully developed and able to fly and feed with adults. Some species give birth in maternity caves where the shape of the cave roof traps the body heat of the adults so that the unfurred young are able to survive when the mothers leave them to feed at night. Some maternity caves are known to contain hundreds of thousands of bats. Other species form maternity colonies in the hollows of big old trees or in buildings. Mother microbats, which roost in tree hollows, carry their babies from one hollow to another. This behaviour may be to avoid predators or it might be to avoid a build up of parasites, or both. Page Top Megabats (sub-order Megachiroptera) Megabats are large bats that navigate by sight and smell and feed on plant products. They can be found in Africa, the
