Human uses of bats

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A Zapotec bat god figure, dating from 350-500 CE Bat god, Zapotec, Period III-A - Mesoamerican objects in the American Museum of Natural History - DSC06023.JPG
A Zapotec bat god figure, dating from 350–500 CE

Human uses of bats include economic uses such as bushmeat or in traditional medicine. Bats are also used symbolically in religion, mythology, superstition, and the arts. Perceived medical uses of bats include treating epilepsy in South America, night blindness in China, rheumatism, asthma, chest pain, and fever in South Asia. Bat meat is consumed in Oceania, Australia, Asia, and Africa, with about 13% of all species hunted for food. Other economic uses of bats include using their teeth as currency on the island of Makira.

Contents

Bats are widely represented in the arts, with inclusion in epic poems, plays, fables, and comic books. Though frequently associated with malevolence in Western art, bats are symbols of happiness in China.

Economic uses

Traditional medicine

Live bats are sold in Bolivia for purported medicinal uses. Specifically, consuming the bats' blood is believed to treat epilepsy. [1] A 2010 study documented that per month, 3,000 bats were sold in markets in four Bolivian cities. Species sold in these markets include Seba's short-tailed bats, mouse-eared bats, and common vampire bats. [2] Bat excrement (guano) is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for night blindness. [3] The Romans believed that bat blood was an antidote for snake venom. [4]

Flying foxes are killed for use in traditional medicine. The Indian flying fox, for example, has many perceived medical uses. Some believe that its fat is a treatment for rheumatism. [5] Tribes in the Attappadi region of India eat the cooked flesh of the Indian flying fox to treat asthma and chest pain. [6] Healers of the Kanda Tribe of Bangladesh use hair from Indian flying foxes to create treatments for "fever with shivering." [7]

Meat

Bats are consumed for their meat in several regions, including Oceania, Australia, Southeast Asia, China, and West and Central Africa. [8] Bats have been used as a food source for humans for thousands of years. [9] At least 167 species of bats are hunted around the world, or about 13% of all bat species. [8]

Materials

Indigenous societies in Oceania used parts of flying foxes for functional and ceremonial weapons. In the Solomon Islands, people created barbs out of their bones for use in spears, [10] and still use their dry skins to make kites. [11] In New Caledonia, ceremonial axes made of jade were decorated with braids of flying fox fur. [12]

There are modern and historical references to flying fox byproducts used as currency. In New Caledonia, braided flying fox fur was once used as currency. [10] On the island of Makira, which is part of the Solomon Islands, indigenous peoples still hunt flying foxes for their teeth as well as for bushmeat. The canine teeth are strung together on necklaces that are used as currency. [13] Teeth of the insular flying fox are particularly prized, as they are usually large enough to drill holes in. The Makira flying fox is also hunted, though, despite its smaller teeth. [14]

Fertilizer

Bat eating pests in its natural environment. Harvestman eating dead bat (10332789323).jpg
Bat eating pests in its natural environment.

Bat guano is a natural fertilizer used by gardeners and plant enthusiasts across the world. Bat guano is a natural and organic fertilizer that not only benefits the plants, but also benefits the bats as many gardeners will build bat houses to house the bats, their natural fertilizer supplier.  Bat guano contains many elements that benefit plant growth: carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Therefore, because of its natural properties, guano has become very popular across the world for its use as a natural and organic fertilizer. [15]

Pest control

Bats can eat up to 3,000 insects a night and are becoming increasingly more common among neighborhoods to use as natural pest control. [16] Especially for communities at high risk of diseases such as zika, West Nile virus, and St. Louis encephalitis, bats can decrease the population of mosquitoes and other pests naturally, without the use of pesticides. Bats also perform important pest control for farmers, cutting down the numbers of pests that eat and destroy their crops. Farmers in turn are protective of bats and often have bat houses near their crop fields to help attract and house bats for their natural pest control. [17]

Symbolic uses

Mythology, religion, and superstition

Preparation of a bat at Akodessawa Fetish Market in Togo, West Africa, for Voodoo rituals Preparation of a bat at Akodessawa Fetish Market for Voodoo rituals.jpg
Preparation of a bat at Akodessawa Fetish Market in Togo, West Africa, for Voodoo rituals

In Mayan mythology, the deity Camazotz was a bat god. "Camazotz" translates to "death bat" or "snatch bat". [18] Though many superstitions related to bats are negative, some are positive. In Ancient Macedonia, people carried amulets made out of bat bones. Bats were considered the luckiest of all animals, thus their bones were sure to bring good luck. In China, bats are also considered good luck or bringers of happiness, as the Chinese word Fu is a homophone for both "bat" and "happiness". [11] Flying fox wings were depicted on the war shields of the Asmat people of Indonesia; they believed that the wings offered protection to their warriors. [19] The 10th century Geoponica stated that affixing a bat's head to a dovecote would prevent domestic pigeons from straying, and Pliny the Elder's Natural History asserted that carrying a bat three times around a room and then nailing it head-down to a window would magically protect sheep pens. [4]

Bats are associated with negative uses or beings in many cultures. In Nigeria, for example, bats are thought of as witches; in Ivory Coast, they are believed to be ghosts or spirits. In the Bible's Book of Leviticus, bats are referred to as "birds you are to regard as unclean," [20] and therefore should not be consumed. [21]

Arts

Bats have a long history of inclusion in the arts. The Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes is believed to have been the first to allude to bats coming from hell in 414 BC, leading to the popular expression "bat out of hell". The Greek storyteller Aesop used bats as characters in two of his Fables, [11] and bats appear twice in the Ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey . [4] One of the most famous bat-inspired characters is Batman, a superhero who debuted via American comic book in 1939. [22] In more recent times, bats are main characters in the children's book Stellaluna (1993) and the Silverwing series (1997 – 2007). [23]

Bats in Chinese art: Desk Album- Flower and Bird Paintings (Bats, rocks, flowers oval calligraphy) by Zhang Ruoai, 18th century Zhang Ruoai - Desk Album- Flower and Bird Paintings (Bats, rocks, flowers oval calligraph - 1967.193.a - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif
Bats in Chinese art: Desk Album- Flower and Bird Paintings (Bats, rocks, flowers oval calligraphy) by Zhang Ruoai, 18th century

Bats are a popular component of natural horror genre films and books. In 1897, author Bram Stoker wrote Dracula ; the book and its film adaptations continued a legacy of bats being portrayed as "evil, bloodsucking monsters". [11] Other natural horror films including bats are The Devil Bat (1940), Nightwing (1979), and Bats (1999). [4]

In Chinese art, bats are used to symbolize happiness. A popular use of bats in Chinese art is the wufu , a depiction of a tree surrounded by five bats, symbolizing the five happinesses: good luck, health, wealth, longevity, and tranquility. [24] Bats are similarly found on Chinese teacups, on greeting cards, in paintings, and in embroidery. [4]

In theatre, bats are featured in the 1874 German operetta Die Fledermaus (The Bat in English). Die Fledermaus is unusual in Western culture in that bats are not portrayed as a symbol of malevolence. [4] A 1920 play The Bat featured a villain called "the Bat". [25]

Heraldry and branding

The coat of arms of Sesava Parish, Latvia LVA Sesavas pagasts COA.png
The coat of arms of Sesava Parish, Latvia

Bats are a common element of heraldry, particularly in Spain, France, Switzerland, Ireland, and England. Bats are frequently displayed with their wings outstretched, facing the observer. The use of bats in heraldry was meant to inspire fear in enemies, as well as symbolize vigilance. [26]

The liquor company Bacardi prominently uses bats in its branding, with its main logo featuring a new world fruit bat. [4] Several sports teams use bats in their logos, including Valencia CF (soccer) [27] and the Louisville Bats (Minor League Baseball). [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megabat</span> Family of fruit bats

Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera Acerodon and Pteropus—flying foxes. They are the only member of the superfamily Pteropodoidea, which is one of two superfamilies in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera. Internal divisions of Pteropodidae have varied since subfamilies were first proposed in 1917. From three subfamilies in the 1917 classification, six are now recognized, along with various tribes. As of 2018, 197 species of megabat had been described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bushmeat</span> Meat hunted in tropical forests

Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity in poor and rural communities of humid tropical forest regions of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horseshoe bat</span> Family of mammals

Horseshoe bats are bats in the family Rhinolophidae. In addition to the single living genus, Rhinolophus, which has about 106 species, the extinct genus Palaeonycteris has been recognized. Horseshoe bats are closely related to the Old World leaf-nosed bats, family Hipposideridae, which have sometimes been included in Rhinolophidae. The horseshoe bats are divided into six subgenera and many species groups. The most recent common ancestor of all horseshoe bats lived 34–40 million years ago, though it is unclear where the geographic roots of the family are, and attempts to determine its biogeography have been indecisive. Their taxonomy is complex, as genetic evidence shows the likely existence of many cryptic species, as well as species recognized as distinct that may have little genetic divergence from previously recognized taxa. They are found in the Old World, mostly in tropical or subtropical areas, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectral bat</span> Species of bat

The spectral bat, also called the great false vampire bat, great spectral bat, American false vampire bat or Linnaeus's false vampire bat, is a large, carnivorous leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is the only member of the genus Vampyrum; its closest living relative is the big-eared woolly bat. It is the largest bat species in the New World, as well as the largest carnivorous bat: its wingspan is 0.7–1.0 m (2.3–3.3 ft). It has a robust skull and teeth, with which it delivers a powerful bite to kill its prey. Birds are frequent prey items, though it may also consume rodents, insects, and other bats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant golden-crowned flying fox</span> Large bat species

The giant golden-crowned flying fox, also known as the golden-capped fruit bat, is a species of megabat endemic to the Philippines. Since its description in 1831, three subspecies of the giant golden-crowned flying fox have been recognized, one of which is extinct. The extinct subspecies was formerly recognized as a full species, the Panay golden-crowned flying fox. Formerly, this species was placed in the genus Pteropus; while it is no longer within the genus, it has many physical similarities to Pteropus megabats. It is one of the largest bat species in the world, weighing up to 1.4 kg (3.1 lb)—only the Indian and great flying fox can weigh more. It has the longest documented forearm length of any bat species at 21 cm (8.3 in).

<i>Pteropus</i> Genus of large bats

Pteropus is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, East Africa, and some oceanic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are at least 60 extant species in the genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black flying fox</span> Species of mammal

The black flying fox or black fruit bat is a bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is among the largest bats in the world, but is considerably smaller than the largest species in its genus, Pteropus. The black flying fox is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. It is not a threatened species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammer-headed bat</span> Megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa

The hammer-headed bat, also known as hammer-headed fruit bat, big-lipped bat, and hammerhead bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. It is the largest bat in continental Africa, with wingspans approaching 1 m (3.3 ft), and males almost twice as heavy as females. Males and females also greatly differ in appearance, making it the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. These differences include several adaptations that help males produce and amplify vocalizations: the males' larynges are about three times as large as those of females, and they have large resonating chambers on their faces. Females appear more like a typical megabat, with foxlike faces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryukyu flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Ryukyu flying fox or Ryukyu fruit bat is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is found in Japan, Taiwan, and the Batanes and Babuyan Islands of the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss and by hunting for food and the IUCN classify it as "Vulnerable".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banks flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Banks flying fox is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to Vanuatu. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical swamps. These small fruit bats are about 15 cm. long with grey and brown on its head and back with a yellow-orange neck and yellow-gray bellies. Its diet consists of coconut flowers and Vaveli trees fruit since its home is tropical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian flying fox</span> Species of mammal

The Indian flying fox, also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyle's flying fox</span> Species of mammal

Lyle's flying fox is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is found in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, with an outlying population in Yunnan, China. It faces persecution from farmers and it is killed for bushmeat in parts of its range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great flying fox</span> Species of mammal

The great flying fox, also known as the greater flying fox or Bismarck flying fox, is a species of megabat in the genus Pteropus, found throughout lowland areas of New Guinea and in the Bismarck Archipelago. Conflicting evidence suggests that its closest relative is either the spectacled flying fox or, jointly, the Pelew and insular flying foxes. Two subspecies are recognized. At up to 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) in weight, it is among the heaviest bats in the world and the largest bat in Melanesia. It is a gregarious animal which roosts with hundreds or thousands of individuals. In part due to its wide variation in color, it has many taxonomic synonyms, including Pteropus degener, Pteropus papuanus, and Pteropus sepikensis. It may forage during the day or night in search of fruit, including figs or fruits from the family Sapotaceae. It is considered a least-concern species by the IUCN, though its numbers have been negatively impacted by what appeared to be a disease, as well as by hunting for bushmeat that occurs across its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temotu flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Temotu flying fox is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands. It is threatened by habitat destruction due to subsistence agricultural practices, as well as natural disasters such as tropical cyclones. Due to its imperiled status, it is identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as a species in danger of imminent extinction. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonin flying fox</span> Species of bat

The Bonin flying fox, Bonin fruit bat, or in Japanese, Ogasawara giant bat, is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to four islands in Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Its natural habitat is subtropical forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large flying fox</span> Species of fruit bat

The large flying fox, also known as the greater flying fox, Malayan flying fox, Malaysian flying fox, large fruit bat, kalang, or kalong, is a southeast Asian species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. Despite its scientific name, it feeds exclusively on fruits, nectar, and flowers, like the other flying foxes of the genus Pteropus. It is noted for being one of the largest bats. As with nearly all other Old World fruit bats, it lacks the ability to echolocate but compensates for it with well-developed eyesight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guano</span> Excrement of seabirds or bats

Guano is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a lesser extent, sought for the production of gunpowder and other explosive materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bougainville monkey-faced bat</span> Species of mammal

The Bougainville monkey-faced bat or Bougainville flying monkey is a megabat endemic to Bougainville Island of Papua New Guinea and Choiseul Island of the Solomon Islands in Melanesia. It inhabits mature forests in upland areas, within the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Bougouriba Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat</span> Order of flying mammals

Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera. With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. The smallest bat, and arguably the smallest extant mammal, is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, which is 29–34 millimetres in length, 150 mm (6 in) across the wings and 2–2.6 g in mass. The largest bats are the flying foxes, with the giant golden-crowned flying fox reaching a weight of 1.6 kg and having a wingspan of 1.7 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat as food</span> Bat eaten as food

Bats as food are eaten by people in some areas of North America, Asia, Africa, Pacific Rim countries, and some other cultures, including the United States, China, Vietnam, theSeychelles, the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Thailand, and Guam. Half the megabat species are hunted for food but only eight percent of the insectivorous bat species are. In Guam, Mariana fruit bats are considered a delicacy.

References

  1. ↑ Fine Maron, Dina (7 December 2018). "Bats are being killed so people can suck their blood". National Geographic. National Geographic Partners, LLC. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  2. ↑ Lizarro, D.; Galarza, M. I.; Aguirre, L. F. "Tráfico y comercio de murciélagos en Bolivia Traffic and trade of Bolivian bats".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ Christy-Vitale, Joseph (2008). Watermark: The Disaster That Changed the World and Humanity. Simon and Schuster. p. 95. ISBN   9781439136423.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Arnott, W. Geoffrey (2007). Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z. Routledge. pp. 151–152. ISBN   978-1134556267.
  5. ↑ Nowak, R. M., ed. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 1 (6 ed.). pp. 264–271. ISBN   978-0-8018-5789-8.
  6. ↑ Padmanabhan, P.; Sujana, K. A. (2008). "Animal products in traditional medicine from Attappady hills of Western Ghats". Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 7 (2): 326–329. hdl:123456789/1595.
  7. ↑ Rahmatullah, M.; Ayman, U.; Akter, F.; Sarker, M.; Sifa, R.; Sarker, B.; Chowdhury, S. A. (2013). "Medicinal formulations of a Kanda tribal healer–a tribe on the verge of disappearance in Bangladesh". African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. 10 (2): 213–222. doi:10.4314/ajtcam.v10i2.5. PMC   3746568 . PMID   24146444.
  8. 1 2 Mildenstein, T.; Tanshi, I.; Racey, P. A. (2016). "Exploitation of Bats for Bushmeat and Medicine". Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of Bats in a Changing World. Springer. p. 327. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-25220-9_12. ISBN   978-3-319-25218-6. S2CID   130038936.
  9. ↑ Hawkins, Stuart; O'Connor, SUE; Kealy, Shimona (2016). "Late Quaternary hominin-bat (Chiroptera) interactions in the Asia-Pacific". Archaeology in Oceania. 51: 7–17. doi:10.1002/arco.5084.
  10. 1 2 British Museum. Dept. of British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography; Joyce, T. A.; Dalton, O. M. (1910). Handbook to the Ethnographical Collections. Printed by order of the Trustees. p. 125.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Lunney, Daniel; Moon, Chris (2011). "Blind to Bats: Traditional prejudice's and today's bad press render bats invisible to public consciousness". In Law, Bradley; Eby, Peggy; Lumsden, Lindy; Lunney, Daniel (eds.). The Biology and Conservation of Australasian Bats. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. pp. 44–63. ISBN   978-0980327243.
  12. ↑ Machray, Robert (1899). "Strange Kinds of Money". The Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine. 1: 639–641.
  13. ↑ Choi, Charles (16 October 2017). "In Makira, Flying Fox Teeth Are Currency…And That Could Save the Species". Discover. Kalmbach Media. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  14. ↑ Lavery, Tyrone H; Fasi, John (2017). "Buying through your teeth: Traditional currency and conservation of flying foxes Pteropus spp. In Solomon Islands". Oryx. 53 (3): 1–8. doi: 10.1017/S0030605317001004 .
  15. ↑ "GUANO: BATS' GIFT to GARDENERS". Bat Conservation International. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "Going batty over insect control: Hillsborough County to install new bat houses". wtsp.com. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  17. ↑ "Bats: Farmers Secret Pest-Control Weapon". Bat Conservation International. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Addams, Eli. "Camazotz: The Mayan Bat God". Historical Mexico. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  19. ↑ Werness; H. B. (2003). Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism, and Culture in Africa, Oceania, and North America. A&C Black. p. 31. ISBN   978-0826414656.
  20. ↑ Leviticus 11 NV.
  21. ↑ Kingston, T. (2015). "Cute, Creepy, or Crispy – How values, attitudes, and norms shape human behavior toward bats". In Voigt, C. C.; Kingston, T. (eds.). Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of bats in a changing world. Springer. pp. 571–595. ISBN   978-3319252209.
  22. ↑ Brooker, Will (2001). Batman Unmasked. NY/London: Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 34. ISBN   978-0-8264-1343-7.
  23. ↑ Kanter, Rob (27 October 2016). "Appreciating bats before white-nose syndrome". Will AM 580. University of Illinois. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  24. ↑ Harvey, Michael J.; Altenbach, J. Scott; Best, Troy L. (2011). Bats of the United States and Canada. JHU Press. pp. 2–3. ISBN   978-1421401911.
  25. ↑ Pollock, Arthur (1 June 1937). "The Theater: The Bat, One of the First Mystery Melodramas, Is Revived at the Majestic Theater in Manhattan". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "A brief history of bats". Canadian Wildlife Federation. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  27. ↑ "Valencia again targeted by Batman creators for bat logo". USA Today. Associated Press. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  28. ↑ "Louisville Bats unveil new logos and uniforms". MiLB.com. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
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