What is a bat’s mating habits?

Bats are probably the most unusual of all of the mammals. Not only can they fly, but the appearance and the way that a bat lives makes it odd on many levels. That also extends to its mating habits.No matter which species of bat one is talking about, these creatures have an unusual mating and breeding ritual that separates them from many, if not all, of the other kinds of mammals that you will find.



For the bat, survival of the young is the most important issue, or at least the greatest potential of survival. This means that the female will not begin ovulating so that the mating can even get underway until she is sure that the pup will have the best chance to survive once it is born. How the mother is able to determine this is not known exactly, but there is some kind of instinctual mechanism that gives it the ability to know when is the best time.

There are some factors that assist the mother in knowing if she is ready to bring a pup into the world. One of the most important is if the mother is sure that there is a large enough abundance of food available for her and her new born. Because bats often have twins the mother has to be sure that there is enough food for three.

In climates where it can become quite cool in the spring or fall or spring, the mother is more likely to only have babies in the summer. This gives the pups the greatest chance at survival. However, in warmer climates, places where it is warm nearly year round, the mother can give birth all year long.

For the bat, the first time that they engage in the mating ritual is usually when they are 14 months old. However, some bats will not have their first encounter until they are nearly two years old. It is the level of maturity in the bat that helps to make this determination and, once again, the bat is fully aware when it is ready to matte.

Most of the time, the mating ritual occurs during the night. Because bats are nocturnal creatures, they sleep during the day and are awake and living their lives when it is dark. This means that mating is most likely to occur during this time as well.

To begin the mating process, the male will begin to bite on the female’s neck in a ritual pattern that is meant to notify her that he is attempting to mate with her and to stimulate her to be involved in the process. This biting is usually begun while the female is still sleeping. The biting will immediately awaken her and the mating can then begin. It should be noted that if the male opts to engage in mating during the day, then he does not bite on the female, but instead chooses to rub his head against hers. Then mating will start.

The female bat will copulate with many mates while she is ovulating. This gives her the greater chance of becoming pregnant, but which also means that the male will not be aware if he is the father of the pup or not. In fact, once she has mated with one male, she will likely not mate with that same male again.

When the male copulates with the female this does not mean that the sperm from the male will immediately impregnate the egg. If the female judges that the conditions are not right, she can store the sperm in a special gland until the conditions improve and then release it to the egg. She can also delay the implanting of the egg for a period of time, and then allow it to attach to the uterus. NEED LOCAL HELP? We have wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire a local bat removal expert in your home town. Updated 2018. It's best to be educated on the subject, so browse this site and especially read the bats in the attic home page, or email me if you have any more questions about What is a bat’s mating habits?



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