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American Leaf-Nosed Bats: Phyllostomidae

American Leaf-nosed Bats And People

Many of these bats are important pollinators for plants, meaning they disperse pollen, the fine grains that contain the male reproductive cells of seed plants. These bats help forests' and plants' continued survival. Through deforestation and destroying these bats' natural habitat, people have caused the decline in many of these bats' populations. Much of the negative myths and superstitions about bats come from the three species in this family that feed on blood. These vampire bats are considered pests to many farmers and feared for the spread of rabies.

BATTY FOLKLORE

Ancient artwork and hieroglyphics (high-ruh-GLI-fix; a writing system that uses pictures instead of letters) have shown that many cultures in the New World had stories about bats in this family. Representations of bats show these bats have a characteristic noseleaf. Many show bat traits added to a human figure. In New World myth and art, the underworld, the world of the dead, was one of the most important themes. Bat imagery was common because bats share several themes in the underworld, such as they are active in the dark, and they roost in caves, which were considered openings to the underworld. Vampire bats specifically were also part of folklore for the Mayans, who revered a vampire bat god. "Camazotz," the death bat, killed dying men on their way to the center of the Earth. Hieroglyphics and graphic drawings of the vampire bat are found throughout the Maya ruins in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceMammalsAmerican Leaf-Nosed Bats: Phyllostomidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, American Leaf-nosed Bats And People, California Leaf-nosed Bat (macrotus Californicus): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS