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What is a bat’s mating habits?



Ever wonder what a bat’s mating habits are really like? Scientists have studied bat mating habits and have found different behaviors in each species.

Hibernacula is a term used for the bats’ breeding season. The animals live in temperate regions and usually move to a warmer place to hibernate in the winter. In the summer, they mate and this can potentially continue until the early autumn season. Thus, females would store the sperm until it is time for spring. Tropical bats do not have to migrate, so they have greater flexibility, but they still tend to mate at the same time of year each year.

During hibernating time, the male and female bats meet for the first time. There are huge numbers in the group and it is like watching a spectacular acrobatic show. However, scientists are unable to find clear information on how these bats actually choose their mate partner. They do know, however, that the females are the ones seeking out the males. Horseshoe bats, unlike other bat species, have used discrete ways to find mates. In fact, the females are the ones visiting the males in their habitats.

Arboreal species have their own way to handle the mating season. For instance, they honk on females that pass by them. The males of sac winged bats do things differently too. These bats would hover over female bats and draw them with their pheromones while flying.

There are many ways these animals go about mating. For some it is upside down, but it can also be done in cave walls or rocks. The way they mate is typically like this: the male will hold the female from behind, it is noisy, and can take a long time.

Fruit bats have different behavior when mating. They perform oral sex on their female partners and it will prolong the act. Some foxes also do the same behavior when mating.

Bats change partners. They can have a sexual encounter with more than one partner albeit some bats prefer to be monogamous. Most species of bats are promiscuous and will mate with multiple partners. In some cases, one or two males will acquire and defend a small harem of females. The monogamous bats are the spectral bat species, carnivorous animals that will only stick around their partner while helping baby bats to survive in their young age.

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