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#103080 05/11/03 06:30 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
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Wish I could remember who suggested a "nocturne of bats" on AWAD. In trying to find some more intesting photographs of bats, I came across this list with one family name having the word vesper in it, which is nice:

Information on Amazonian Bats (arranged by family):

Rhynchonycteris Naso

- small
- live in rocky crevices, caves, trees, hollow logs
- have more exposed roosts than most other bat families
- some species live in year-round stable harems, with 2-8 females per male

Noctilionidae

- feed on insects, some species on fish and frogs
- roost near water, in hollow trees, and in deep cracks in rocks
- the Noctilio leporinus species can swim

Mormoopidae

- small - medium size
- insectivorous
- sometimes roost in large colonies, sometimes exclusively in caves
- Pteronotus parnellii species eats only moths, butterflies, and beetles

Natalidae

- small
- often roost in caves or mines
- have social groups that range in size from very large to less than ten
- eat exclusively small insects

Furipteridae

- very small
- insectivorous (mainly butterflies and moths)
- live in colonies of about 100 to 150 individuals, sometimes more than 300
- live in mainly in caves, occasionally in moist areas or logs

Thyropteriae

- small
- have suction cups on wrists and ankles
- roost head up, inside tubes formed as young banana/heliconia leaves unfurl
- Thyroptera discifera species is insectivorous
- Thyroptera tricolor species
- predators don't usually notice this species
- consumes 1 gram of insects a night

Vespertilionidae

- largest family of bats (in number) with 318 species
- huge variation in characteristics
- mainly roost in caves

Molossidae

- small to moderately large
- insectivorous, catch prey on wing

Retrieved from:

http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2006/teams/r4/batsindicator.html


#103081 05/25/03 04:49 AM
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Despite the fact that there are two species of bat (this from memory) in New Zealand, and that bats actually represent the only native land mammals in New Zealand, I've never seen a NZ bat. The first bats I ever saw were in a zoo, and they were Australian bats!

I always thought that they were awkward flyers, but David Attenborough came to their rescue and demonstrated through very clever camera work just how deft and accurate they are in the air. Oh well!


#103082 05/25/03 09:27 AM
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I'm glad you brought this one back up, Cap. I had been so interested in the Vesper* family that I hadn't read with care about a more interesting family, the members of whom rest in unfurling banana leaves:

Thyropteriae

- small
- have suction cups on wrists and ankles
- roost head up, inside tubes formed as young banana/heliconia leaves unfurl


#103083 05/26/03 07:16 PM
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How the hey do they do that on motor scooters?


#103084 05/26/03 07:27 PM
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How the hey do they do that on motor scooters?

they Puch-er up...



formerly known as etaoin...
#103085 05/26/03 11:53 PM
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wwh Offline
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Capfka doesn't know the differerence between a Italina wasp
and a Sicilian Vesper.


#103086 05/27/03 10:19 AM
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difference between a wasp and a vesper

Common problem among the non-rhotic. He got badly stung by a woman of the evening once, long, long time ago.


#103087 05/27/03 10:52 AM
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Yes, I always thought that singing vespas was a bit of a pain ... you burn your lips on the exhaust pipe ...


#103088 05/27/03 08:51 PM
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Don't you think once in while ron-o would just make an appearance and explain all these esoteric conversations to the World at Large? I, for one, wouldn't mind old ronnie-oh-ee-oh doing that once in a while.

[twiddling-my-thumbs-e]


#103089 05/27/03 10:20 PM
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it should really be quite casual to the obvious observer that ofttimes when Capfka wanders into a thread it goes all pear-shaped. hth.
-ron o.


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