Ghost Bat and Loose Excreta

This ghost bat was a show stealer at the Darling Harbour enclosure in Sydney, Australia on Halloween. It flew about the enclosure to the oohs and ahhs of the appreciative crowd.

The ghost bat, Macroderma gigas aka false vampire bat, is Australia's only carnivorous bat (and it's endangered). They dine mainly on ground-based prey, like large insects, frogs, small mammals, and human brains. Their hunting technique: to drop on their prey from above, envelop it in their flight membranes, and then attack the prey's head and neck with vicious bites until dead. They then begin eating, either on site or after dragging it back to the lair, including the flesh, bones, fur, scales, etc. They seem to need this roughage in their diet, otherwise they develop loose excreta. And no bat wants loose excreta.

Photo source: DailyMail.co.uk
















Though, knowing nature, I'm sure there is a bat out there who uses its loose excreta in an aerial attack of some sort. It splatters its prey with sticky bat guano, thereby pinning it to the ground. How 'bout it nature? Got one of those?

Thanks for the ghost bat, Laura.