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A few species feed on animals other than insects; for example, the vampire bats feed on blood. Most bats are nocturnal, and many roost in caves or other refuges; it is uncertain whether bats have these behaviours to escape predators. Bats are present throughout the world, with the exception of extremely cold regions.
The larger average body size of megabats compared to echolocating bats [35] suggests a larger body size disrupts the flight-echolocation coupling and made echolocation too energetically expensive to be conserved in megabats. [34]
Kitti's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat and arguably the world's smallest mammal by body length (the Etruscan shrew is regarded as the smallest by body mass). It has a reddish-brown or grey coat, with a distinctive pig-like snout. Colonies range greatly in size, with an average of 100 individuals per cave.
The hammer-headed bat is the largest bat in mainland Africa. [12] Males have wingspans up to 90.1 cm (2.96 ft), [ 13 ] and all individuals have forearm lengths exceeding 112 mm (4.4 in). [ 12 ] It has pronounced sexual dimorphism , more so than any other bat species in the world, [ 12 ] with males up to twice as heavy as females.
It is among the heaviest of all bat species, with individuals weighing up to 1.40 kg (3.1 lb). The only bat species known to weigh more than the giant golden-crowned flying fox are the Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius) and great flying fox (Pteropus neohibernicus), with a maximum weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) and 1.45 kg (3.2 lb) respectively.
The Indian flying fox is India's largest bat, [16] and one of the largest bats in the world, weighing up to 1.6 kg (3.5 lb). [17] Its body mass ranges from 0.6–1.6 kg (1.3–3.5 lb), and males are generally larger than females.
In certain areas, the bat prefers coastal regions, but it can also be found at elevations up to 1,370 m (4,490 ft). [21] Flying foxes inhabit primary forest, mangrove forest, coconut groves, mixed fruit orchards, and a number of other habitats. [19] During the day, trees in mangrove forests and coconut groves may be used as roosts. [12]
Mexican free-tailed bats are typically 9 cm (3.5 in) in length and weigh around 7–12 g (0.25–0.42 oz) with females tending to be slightly heavier than males by 1–2 grams for increased fat storage to use during gestation and nursing. [8]