21 August 2022 - BATTAMBANG BAT CAVE - CAMBODIA

 

 BATTAMBANG

 BAT CAVE 

- CAMBODIA -

G'day folks,

Here, you can take a hidden path to the mouth of a cave to watch millions of bats swarm at sunset.  

Just down the road from the Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau, visitors gather at sundown for an incredible spectacle of nature: the nightly exodus of a gargantuan colony of hungry wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats.

Most spectators convene at the bars and stalls on the side of the road, where food and drinks (and cover) are available. But for those wanting a more intimate experience, you can have a local guide lead you up the hidden path to the mouth of the cave.

Standing so close to the cloud of flying creatures whooshing out of the cave is an enthralling encounter. The bats won’t hurt you—they’re too busy hunting for bugs to even care about you—but the swarm is so large and furious you can actually feel the temperature rise as they soar overhead.

 

The bat population is so high it can take upwards of 20 minutes for the cave to clear. Once they’re out, it’s amazing to watch the animals streak across the sky. The hordes of flying bats seem to paint the air with fluid black shapes, forming a series of striking images against a sky tinged with the last bits of sunset colors.

 

17 November 2021 - BOOLBOONDA TRAIN TUNNEL - AUSTRALIA

 

BOOLBOONDA TRAIN 

TUNNEL

 -  AUSTRALIA -

G'day folks,

The longest manmade tunnel in Queensland is now a beautiful trail, home to a special colony of bent-wing bats.  

For train and tunnel enthusiasts there is no better place to visit than the Boolboonda Tunnel in Queensland. This amazing 630-foot long (192-meters) tunnel can either be walked, cycled, or driven through. The tunnel cuts through a granite hillside and is known as the longest manmade tunnel in Queensland.

Constructed between 1881-1884 by the O’Rourke & McSharry, the rough-hewn rock walls did not require lining or additional support due to the hard granite. The tunnel took two years to create and is located between the towns of  Gin Gin and Mount Perry. It was constructed to serve the Mount Perry Copper Mine and officially opened in 1883.

Due to the closure of the mine and declining use of the rail, the line closed in 1960 and the rails were removed in 1961. The publicly accessible, single-lane, gravel road through the tunnel is open to vehicular traffic and is now used to access other local properties.

The Boolboonda Tunnel was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1999. The tunnel is now home to a colony of protected Bent-wing bats. The unlined rock walls of the tunnel make for a uniquely interesting drive, a fun cycle, or a simple walk. 

Clancy's comment: Imagine digging the tunnel through all that granite.

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26 October 2021 - MASSIVE PYTHON EATS MASSIVE BAT

 

MASSIVE PYTHON 

EATS MASSIVE BAT

G'day folks,

Australia has some of the deadliest snakes in the world, and also the biggest.

 Carpet Pythons are said to be pretty submissive, but they are enthusiastic eaters, as you can see here. I don’t care how laid back this big snake is, I would stay far away from it knowing it loves to eat. I think the couple who took these photos are pretty safe though since this particular python is currently occupied!

This bat is most likely already dead since pythons are constrictors and suffocate their prey by wrapping themselves around them so tightly they can’t breath and they die.  Yet another reason I don’t like snakes, they are so strong and a python this big would have no problem asphyxiating a human!

Mille Stoevring, the person behind the pictures, said it took over 30 minutes for this snake to swallow the ginormous bat. She said, “It was fascinating to watch it making its way over the bat’s body.”

 

The longest Carpet Python in record was just under 13 feet long! The bat he is devouring is known as a Flying Fox and they are one of the largest bats in the world and their wingspan can be over 10 feet long! A fitting meal for a giant serpent!

 

Clancy's comment: I've never eaten bat, and I doubt I ever will.

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7 August 2019 - BAT MIGRATION IN KASANKA, ZAMBIA

BAT MIGRATION IN 

KASANKA, ZAMBIA

G'day folks,

Zambia's smallest national park is home to one of the world's largest annual mammal migrations. 

 

Located on the edge of the Bangweulu Wetlands, Kasanka National Park, the smallest and one of the lesser-known national parks in Zambia, is nonetheless a gem for wildlife lovers, home to a diverse array of habitats and animals. The high number of pans, papyrus swamps, dambos, and floodplains makes Kasanka an especially good haunt for birders, with more than 400 avian species recorded in the park.

 

What the park is most notable for, however, is the enormous annual bat migration. Between November and December each year, some 5 million to 10 million straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) descend on the park to feast on the area’s musuku, mufinsa, and other fruit trees. Scientists are not sure exactly where the bats spend the rest of the year, though they are known to come from deep in the Congo rainforest.

Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of this thrilling sight are led on guided tours to various tree hides in the park during the dawn and dusk hours when the nocturnal creatures are especially active. There are so many bats that they darken the sky. The sheer number of bats makes this tradition one of the largest annual mammal migrations on the planet.

 

 

 Clancy's comment: Wow, that is one hell of a lot of bats.

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21 September 2017 - COMMON VAMPIRE BATS

COMMON VAMPIRE BATS

G'day folks,

Bats are the only mammals that can fly, but vampire bats have an even more interesting distinction — they are the only known mammals that survive solely on blood.

Quick Facts

• Type: Mammal
• Diet: Carnivore
• Lifespan: Around 9 years
• Size: Body 9cm, wingspan 18cm
• Habitat: Arid to humid, tropical and subtropical areas
• Range: Central to South America

 Amazing Facts About the Common Vampire Bat

• Vampire bats tend to live in colonies in almost completely dark places, such as caves, old wells, hollow trees, and buildings.
• These creatures are nocturnal and most active in the early night.
• Vampire bats roost alone, in small groups, or in colonies of thousands.
• The basic social structure of roosting bats is made of ‘harems’. These are composed of females and their offspring and a few adult males known as ‘resident males’ and a separate group of males, known as ‘nonresident males’.
• Female vampire bats form associations with one another that can last for many years.
• Vampire bats are believed to be the only species of bats in the world to ‘adopt’ another young bat if something happens to the bat’s mother.

   They are very clean animals that frequently groom themselves as well as other bats.

  Vampire bats generally fly about one metre off the ground.

  Like the legendary monster from which they get their name, these small mammals drink the blood of other animals for survival.

  They feed on blood from sleeping cows, pigs, horses, and birds. Though uncommon, vampire bats occasionally bite humans for blood.

  Vampire bats have such good eyesight that they may be able to see a cow from a distance of 130 metres.

• They don’t remove enough blood to harm the animal, but their bites can cause nasty infections and disease.
• Unlike some other species of bats, vampire bats can walk, run, and jump. They have very strong hind legs and a special thumb that helps them take off after feeding.
• Each night, vampire bats drink about half of their body weight in blood.
• If they can’t find blood for two nights in a row, they will die. Luckily, female bats can be generous; well-fed bats will often regurgitate blood to share with others in exchange for grooming.
• Vampire bats can actually be quite tame, and even friendly to humans.
• Owls, eagles and hawks are some of the vampire bat’s main predators.
• Rather than sucking blood, vampire bats make a small cut with their teeth and then lap up the flowing blood with their tongues.
• These bats are so light and agile that they are sometimes able to drink blood from an animal for more than 30 minutes without waking it up.

Clancy's comment: Some of these facts are very  interesting, especially the last item.

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