In the world of flying animals, bats are among the most acrobatic, intuitive, and effective flyers to ever exist. These masters of aerial navigation use sonic frequencies emitted by their noses and mouths to better understand their terrain and to locate prey, a feature of bats known as echolocation.

Not only are bats exceptionally good flyers—they’re also distinctly different from birds insofar as their bodies and bone structure are concerned. The flight pattern of the bat is almost a trademark of this animal, and in this article, we’re going to be taking a closer look at just how fast and high bats fly, and for what reasons.

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The maxim that you should never judge a book by its cover holds true when it comes to the contrary appearance and nature of chipmunks.
Just look at this cute, innocent, little rodent – who wouldn’t want to cuddle it!  As much as their appearance and behavior may be heartwarming, chipmunks are wild creatures that unless already tamed, right after their birth. just might respond to touching with a bite!

This doesn’t mean that chipmunks can’t be kept at home as pets. It’s just that you need to devote a lot of time, patience, and space for them. If you’re willing to commit, you’ll love living with these adorable creatures. Before you buy one though, you should look up your state laws and local ordinances because in some regions, it’s illegal to keep chipmunks as pets.

Apart from that, you need to know a few things about these rodents before you bring them home.

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Bats have been around for at least 50 million years, and there are many reasons for why they’ve managed to thrive for so long and in so many different environments. From their highly evolved bodies seemingly built for flight to their hyper-accurate sense of echolocation, bats have become one of the hardiest and longest-lasting species of animal to ever exist.

Alas, bats do die. However, they live lives that are comparably long, even when we consider how long some birds live (some Cockatoos can live to be 80+ years old). In this article, we’ll be answering the question, “How long do bats live?”, and we’ll be exploring the many factors that contribute to bat death, either prematurely or naturally.

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Bats are truly fascinating creatures. They’re the only mammals capable of true flight, they sleep hanging upside-down, and they are a crucial link in the food chain.

What’s even more remarkable about bats is how they manage to live their lives so efficiently. Thankfully, Mother Nature has equipped bats with all the tools they need to survive and thrive, as they have been doing so for millions of years on almost every continent throughout the world.

In this article, we’ll be looking closely at bat anatomy, exploring the tools that equip bats to be expert flyers, hunters, and foragers. We’ll also be answering some of the most commonly asked questions about bat anatomy. [Read more…]

Like other members of the squirrel family, chipmunks can be highly susceptible to attacks from predators. Predation contributes significantly to the mortality rate for a chipmunk. Most chipmunks will not survive beyond their first year due to this very reason.

Predators that eat chipmunks vary across location and habitat and many chipmunks have established a set of predator specific alarm calls to help each other, and especially fellow family members escape attack.  Let’s take a look at some chipmunk species and which predators they need to watch out for.

Note: All information below was obtained from the species specific entries at the Animal Diversity Web.

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Chipmunks are the smallest members of the Sciuridae family and there are 25 different species of this cute animal.  Chipmunks have much in common with their slightly larger cousins, Ground Squirrels and Tree Squirrels, but their smaller size makes them quite different in many aspects of their lives.

One difference between the different members of the Sciuridae family is lifespan.  Some species of Tree Squirrels have been reported to live up to 18 years (see How Long Do Squirrels Live for more information).  But what about the small guys?  How long do chipmunks live?

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