Tropical Rain Forest Mammals

Isn't this bat cute! Click on image for full size ( 55K JPEG ) Courtesy of Corel Photography

Birds aren't the only creatures that fly through the rain forests! Several species of flying mammals live in the jungle. From the harmless fruit bat to the unique flying squirrel, the tropical rain forests are full of surprises!

The Indian flying fox is one of the largest bats in the world. Its wings can spread out to 5 feet in width! Unlike bats in other parts of the world, these bats do not live in caves. They prefer to hang in trees during the day. Hundreds or even thousands of bats can be spotted in a single tree!

Vampire bats live in the Amazon jungle in South America. The famous stories of blood-sucking bats probably originated here. These bats do in fact drink the blood of their victims. They usually attack farm animals, but have also enjoyed the blood of humans. But don't worry, vampire bats only drink a very small amount of fluid. They won't kill you, or turn you into a vampire!

Isn't this bat cute! Click on image for full size ( 55K JPEG ) Courtesy of Corel Photography

Birds aren't the only creatures that fly through the rain forests! Several species of flying mammals live in the jungle. From the harmless fruit bat to the flying squirrel, the tropical rain forests are full of surprises!

The Indian flying fox is one of the largest bats in the world. Its wings can spread out to 5 feet in width! Unlike bats in other parts of the world, these bats do not live in caves. They prefer to hang in trees during the day. Hundreds or even thousands of bats can be spotted in a single tree!

Vampire bats live in the Amazon jungle in South America. These bats do in fact drink the blood of their victims. They usually attack farm animals, but have also enjoyed the blood of humans. But don't worry, vampire bats only drink a very small amount of blood. They won't kill you, or turn you into a vampire!

Isn't this bat cute! Click on image for full size (55K JPEG ) Courtesy of Corel Photography

Did you know that some mammals can fly? That's right, bats and flying squirrels are mammals! There are many kinds of bats in the tropical rain forest.

There are large bats, like the Indian flying fox. It's wings spread out over 5 feet! Then there are the vampire bats. These bats suck the blood of animals for food. But don't worry, they only take a little! In case you were wondering, bats in the rain forest don't sleep in caves. You can find them hanging from the trees, sometimes covering a whole tree!