Chiroptera

__•CHIROPTERA__ By: Andrea Whitney __Characteristics: __ The class Chiroptera includes two sub-divisions, Megachiroptera (fruit bats) and Microchiroptera (echolocating bats). The Megachiroptera bats have a very good sense of smell. Echolocating bats use the system of echolocation to see where they are flying in dark conditions. These animals has wings and can fly, but the wings are really elongated fingers with webbing that allows flight between them. These creatures are nocturnal, and do much of their activity at night. These animals have a delayed pregnancy, a trait that isn't common among other mammals.

__Families: __ The only family of the order Chiroptera in Minnesota is the order Vespertilionidae. This family includes almost one third of the world's bats. One characteristic of this family includes a diet of insects, most eating their own body weight in insects. They also have plain faces, and they make their habitat from caves and small areas in houses.

__ Diet: __ The diet of animals of the Chiroptera order in general is insectivore and omnivore. There are a few animals of this order that are carnivorous. The animals in this order found in Minnesota are most adapted to eat insects, since there are many insects in Minnesota. These animals eat the insects at night, and they hunt them out of the air. These animals dive down and eat insects, and some of them eat their own body weight in insects every night.

__Animals found in the order: __ This is a list of the animals in this order that can be found in Minnesota: - Found in all areas of Minnesota - Lives 15-20 years - Insectivore: Eats Caddis Flies, Mayflies, Midges and Mosquitoes - Found mostly on the eastern side of Minnesota - Lives 10-15 years - Insectivore: Eats Moths, Crane Flies, Other Flies and Midges
 * Little Brown Bat
 * Northern Myotis

•Eastern Pipistrelle - Found in the southeast corner of Minnesota - Lives 10-15 years - Insectivore: Eats Moths, Crane Flies, Other Flies and Midges - Found in all areas of Minnesota - Lives 15-20 years - Insectivore: Eats Mosquitoes and beetles - Found in all areas of Minnesota - Lives 15-20 years - Insectivore: Eats Moths, Beetles, Flies, Grasshoppers and Crickets - Found in all areas of Minnesota - Lives 15-20 years - Insectivore: Eats Moths, Beetles, Flies, Dragonflies, Wasps and Bees - Found mostly on the eastern side of Minnesota - Lives 10-15 years - Insectivore: Eats Moths, Beetles, Crane Flies, Leafhoppers and Midges
 * Big Brown Bat
 * Red Bat
 * Hoary Bat
 * Silver-Haired Bat

__Range of Size and Weight:__ There is a large range of size and weight of the animals of this order in Minnesota. The animals are listed in order of the smallest size to the largest size.
 * Eastern Pipistrelle: Length (5-5.5 cm), Wingspan (20-25 cm)
 * Weight: 3-6 grams
 * Little Brown Bat: Length (4-5 cm), Wingspan (20-25 cm)
 * Weight: 3-14 grams
 * Northern Myotis: Length (5-6 cm),Wingspan (20-25 cm)
 * Weight: 6-11 grams
 * Red Bat: Length (5-7.5 cm), Wingspan (33-36 cm)
 * Weight: 7-14 grams
 * Silver-Haired Bat: Length (5-7.5 cm). Wingspan (33-36 cm)
 * Weight: 7-14 grams
 * Big Brown Bat: Length (5-7.5 cm), Wingspan (33-36 cm)
 * Weight: 14-26 grams
 * Hoary Bat: Length (5-10 cm), Wingspan (38-40 cm)
 * Weight: 21-35 grams

__Species of this order:__ There are species of this order worldwide. There are 1,116 total species in the order Chiroptera worldwide (the second largest mammalian order). The largest order is Rodentia, which has over 2,000 species within the order.

__Nomenclature:__ The name of the order means "hand-wing." This name alludes to the elongated fingers that support the flying membrane. This literal "hand-wing" allows easy flight for the animal, and the hand of the creature becomes the wing of the creature.

__Fun Facts:__ __[]__ [] []
 * The amount of species in this order equals almost one quarter of the species of mammals on earth.
 * There are about 43 species of bats in the United States.
 * The animals in this order are the only mammals that can fly.