Fructivorous, Digital Collage, 2022
Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados and mangoes. Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination. Bats help spread seeds for nuts, figs and cacao — the main ingredient in chocolate. Without bats, we also wouldn’t have plants like agave or the iconic saguaro cactus. (1)
Fruit bats eat fruits of all kinds, including bananas, avocados, mangoes, figs, and dates. Seeds from their fecal droppings can take root and grow into new fruit trees. Fruit bats also eat nectar from fruit blossoms, they pollinate flowers, allowing trees to develop fruits and seeds.
Photo Credit: Oakland Zoo
(1) “13 Awesome Facts about Bats.” U.S. Department of the Interior, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats.