sensory adaptations of bats. 1 63 



The Behavior of Bats in Captivity. 



Bats in captivity, as well as those at liberty, are very erratic 

 and uncertain in their behavior. Some of them are sluggish and 

 cannot be used at all for experimentation. Others are quite active 

 for a time and then suddenly retire to some corner, hang them- 

 selves up by the feet, and do not move from their chosen position 

 for hours, or even days, unless they are disturbed. If disturbed, 

 they sometimes open their mouths and chatter angrily, but do not 

 move unless forcibly pushed aside. Others will fly a short dis- 

 tance and then settle down again. Occasionally a repeated dis- 

 turbance will arouse them to complete activity. 



They learn to go and drink from a small dish of water placed 

 in their cage. Some have learned to go to a dish of raw meat 

 and eat. As a rule, however, they do not find food on the floor 

 of the cage, but will, eat more readily if meat is placed on the 

 sides, where their head comes in close contact with it as they 

 move about. 



Insects are not readily eaten unless presented to them with 

 fingers or forceps. Meal-worms are eaten with much apparent 

 relish, but often, especially in winter, even this food has to be 

 thrust into their mouths so that they will taste it before they 

 learn to eat. I have often turned the meal-worms loose in a 

 cage or small box with bats, but not one has ever been picked 

 up as it was crawling around, although they sometimes crawl 

 over the animal's body and membranes. 



The manner of eating, and the time required for the consump- 

 tion of the same amount of food, varies considerably at different 

 times and with different individuals. They eat slowly as com- 

 pared with other animals of equal size ; from one to five minutes 

 being required for eating a single meal-worm. Some swallow 

 only the juices and soft parts, letting the chitinous shell pass out 

 of the corners of the mouth. 



During the winter 1907-8 my captive bats were kept in small 

 glass and wire cages that were placed in a small photographic, 

 dark room. The door was never closed tightly, except tem- 

 porarily, so the darkness was not complete and ventilation was 

 fairly good. The temperature varied somewhat but never fell 

 below 40° F. nor rose above 65°. The animals spent most of 



