Bats and Spiders - not scary, just amazing!!!!

This time of year there are so many decorations and descriptions of "scary" spiders or bats and yet these animals are unique and fascinating, so we wanted to share some awesome things about these incredible animals.

Mauritan Fruit Bat, photo credit Andi Edwards

Spiders

Yes, 8 eyes and 8 legs can be a lot to take in, but think about the spider. Their spider silk is incredibly strong and their webs are works of art, and inspire artworks.

There are so many types of spiders that have unique properties, from diving bell spiders (who live underwater and bring air bubbles down from the surface to breathe from) to peacock spiders who are stunningly gorgeous, to the funnel weaver that makes a funnel shaped web in grass. AND, lest you think that spiders only live in hot climates, did you know about the Arctic Wolf Spider?

Let's face it - spiders are awesome!

There is some amazing music inspired by spiders.

Dan Brown: Wild Symphony (arr. K. Blench for orchestra) – Spiders On A Web (Zagreb Festival Orchestra; Miran Vaupotić, cond.)

Rob Keeley: 2 Ways of Looking at a Spider – No. 1. The Spider Dances (Jonathan Leathwood, guitar)

Maybe you'll spin a tune of your own?

Bats

There's some exciting recent research - did you know that some bats sing? Not just use echolocation, which is really cool, and common in the bat world, but singing bats?!? The world is amazing, isn't it?

To me, bats are like flying puppies- they are cute and sweet with unique personalities. The association that some people think of with vampires and such is not really accurate - bats ar the only mammals that actually fly - they are really special!

Here's a sweet poem to give you a fresh perspective on these fascinating creatures:

The Little Brown Bat

  by: Edith Matilda Thomas (1854-1925)

Quoth the little brown bat: "I rise with the owl--

Wisest and best of the feathered fowl;

Let other folks rise, if they will, with the lark,

And be early and bright--I am early and dark!"

Quoth the little brown bat: "I'm awake and up,

When the night-moth sips from the lily's white cup;

While the firefly lanterns are searching the sky,

I am glancing about, with fiery eye!"

Quoth the little brown bat: "The night has its noon

As well as its day--and I'm friends with the moon.

Many a secret she tells me alone,

Which never a bird or a bee has known!"

Quoth the little brown bat: "There is house-room for me,

When the winter comes, in some hollow tree;

Or under barn eaves, near the fragrant hay,

I sleep the dull winter hours away."

A little forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus) from a private collection in Australia.

Photo by Joel Sartore

There are over 1,400 species of bats in the world - far too many for me to list all the facts about here, but check out this info.

A gallery of some of the cutest bats.

Mexican free-tailed bat. Photo by Ann Froschauer, USFWS.

Spotted Bat Photo by Paul Cryan, USGS.

Ghost Bat

Egyptian Fruit Bat

Large Flying Fox

Peter's Dwarf Epauletted Fruit Bat

More images of bats that are adorable!

There are so many sweet picture books about bats and spiders that show them as interesting, funny, (and not scary or blood-sucking or icky) and important to the world, that I will do a separate post soon - watch for it!