Of all mammals, it is bats that cause dislike for many. Is it connected with the legends about vampires, or is there another reason? Not important. One of the representatives of these unusual animals, the northern kozhanok, is quite interesting for its unique lifestyle. And no matter how squeamish you may be about these animals, you should take into account the considerable benefits that they bring.
View description
These representatives of the order of bats are medium-sized animals. The northern kozhanok, which is described below, impresses with the ratio of its wingspan to body size. If the body length is only 4.9-6.4 cm, then the span is 24-28 cm. The wing is pointed, narrow (when compared with other types of bats). The tail is short, up to 5 cm long, and the tip protrudes from the interfemoral membrane by 4-5 mm.
Ear leather jacket hollow rounded to the top, with thin skin, covered with black fur. At the entrance to the auditory canal, there is a short rounded cartilaginous tubercle at the top.
The fur of animals is long and thick. Regardless of the shade of the coat, the back is always slightly darker than the abdomen. This bat, the photo of which you see, differs from other representatives of the order by the golden color of the upper part of the hairs, sometimes even with a metallic sheen. In some individuals, golden tips are placed only along the ridge, and not along the entire back. The characteristic shine is almost imperceptible during the molting of the animal.
The fur can be dark brown, then the belly is brownish brown. In Tuva, a grayish-yellow northern leather coat with an off-white belly was found. Individuals and chocolate-colored with a yellow belly are described. The muzzle is also painted in a dark, almost black color.
Leather is a predator, so his jaw is armed with 32-34 teeth. The dental formula of representatives of the species is as follows:
- cutters - 2/3;
- fangs 1/1;
- pre-root – 1-2/2;
- molars – 3/3.
Body weight ranges from 8 to 14 grams, the skeleton is light, which allows the animal to fly.
Distribution area
Among all known bats, it is the northern bat that is the most resistant to low temperatures. Thanks to this feature, this animal was able to spread widely across the territory of Eurasia - from the forest-tundra to the Siberian taiga. You can meet him in the semi-deserts of the Republic of Tuva, and in the mountains of the Caucasus, on the territory of Mongolia and on the island of Sakhalin. Until late autumn, kozhanok actively hunts.
This species of bats is also found on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. It was discovered for the first time in 1934 on the lands of the Berezinsky Reserve, and a little later - in Belovezhskayaforest. It is in this republic that the leather jacket is listed in the Red Book.
As you can see, the range of the animal is wide, but the species itself is subject to extinction. This is due to active speleological research, environmental pollution, and deforestation in which bats live. If time does not take on the conservation of these animals, then it is quite possible that the species will disappear before it can be fully studied.
Lifestyle
The life expectancy of this species is about 15 years. They hibernate in small flocks of 20-30 individuals (females). Males prefer loneliness. At low temperatures, they hide from the cold in voids and under the bark of trees, in caves or under the roofs of houses, in adits or hollows. But as soon as the thermometer shows the temperature above zero, they leave the wintering place and fly out to hunt right after sunset.
Prefer to look for food in woodlands or on the edge of the forest, on city streets or near human habitation. Rising high up, up to 30 m, deftly, quickly and often flapping its wings, the northern leather jacket maneuvers. What does he eat, you ask? All flying insects fall into the sharp teeth of the animal - moths and scoops, moths and moths, leafworms and weevils, longhorn beetles and hawks. By feeding, the bat helps to get rid of pests of forests and crops, saving the crop.
When you enter a cave where colonies of bats live, you will be deafened by the squeak and chirp that communicate between individuals. Every kind andthe northern leather jacket, including, has its own range of sound signals. Our species is characterized by a signal in the range from 5 to 25 kHz. But this squeak is used not only for communication. With its help, the animal "sees" and can navigate even in complete darkness.
With the onset of winter, some individuals move south, while others remain in place and hide in wintering areas.
Marriage games, pregnancy, childbirth
The mating games of these bats are little studied, but it is known that they take place only once a year - in autumn. During this period, males and females can live next door, while the rest of the time, males prefer loneliness. The female experiences wintering already pregnant. And in the beginning or middle of summer, babies are born. A bat gives birth (a photo of the animal is given in the article), usually two, less often one cub.
When in a flock, the females alone raise the babies until their puberty, which occurs after eleven months. Males do not participate in the upbringing of the younger generation. It is interesting that the youth of leather bats quite often nail to colonies of bats of another species, for example, to bats and bats. And they don't drive them away.
Maybe getting to know these useful animals will stop us cringing when we see bats flying in the night sky. After all, these are our neighbors who play an important role in the cycle of nature and have the right to life.
