蝙蝠科 Vespertilionidae (Sub-family of Chiroptera)

蝙蝠科（Vespertilionidae）,源自拉丁语 vespertilio（"蝙蝠"）,意指该科的成员是蝙蝠.拉丁文中的 "vespertilio "一词据说源自 "vesper",意为 "傍晚 "或 "黄昏",反映了这些蝙蝠在傍晚/黄昏时分的活动期.

Vespertilionidae, from Latin vespertilio (“bat”), in reference to the fact that the members of this family are bats. The Latin word "vespertilio" is believed to have been derived from "vesper," meaning "evening" or "dusk," reflecting the period of activity of these bats during evening/twilight hours.

種的俗名 Common names of members

暮蝠,盔蝠,长耳蝠,家蝠,黃蝙蝠等等.

Evening bats, helmeted bats, long-eared bats, house bats, yellow bats, etc.

分佈 Distribution

世界各地,除了南极洲和一些大洋岛屿外,每个大洲都有.All over the world, on every continent except Antarctica and some oceanic islands.

體型 Size

牠们的头部和体长从 3 公分到 13 公分不等.

Their size range is 3 to 13 cm in head and body length.

形態描述 Morphology

该物种的面部特征通常比较简单,因为牠们主要依靠声音发出回声定位.该物种的尾巴由两腿之间的下飞行膜包裹.不同物种的毛色变化很大,从黑色、红褐色到明亮的橙红色不等.下身毛色比背部毛色浅.大多数物种的皮毛又长又软.

The facial features of the species are often simple, as they mainly rely on vocally emitted echolocation. The tails of the species are enclosed by the lower flight membranes between the legs. Fur color is highly variable among species, ranging from black to reddish brown to bright orange-red. The underparts are paler than the back fur. The majority of species have long, soft fur.

生態與棲息地 Habitat & Ecology

任何类型的森林或无森林环境.大多数种类在洞穴中栖息,但也有一些利用空心树、岩石缝隙、动物洞穴或其他形式的庇护所.栖息地的大小也有很大差异,有些单独栖息,有些则成群栖息,最多可达一百万只.

Any kind of forested or unforested environment. Most species roost in caves, although some make use of hollow trees, rocky crevices, animal burrows, or other forms of shelter. Colony sizes also vary greatly, with some roosting alone, and others in groups up to a million individuals.

食性 Diet

所有种类都是肉食性的,大多数是昆虫食性的,但鼠耳蝠屬和食鱼蝠的蝙蝠除外,牠们捕捉鱼类,较大的山蝠屬中有种类捕捉飞行中的小型飞禽.

All species are carnivorous and most are insectivores, exceptions are bats of genera Myotis and Pizonyx that catch fish and the larger Nyctalus species known to capture small passerine birds in flight.

繁殖 Reproduction

大多数蝙蝠物种都是一雄多雌,即一只雄性蝙蝠与多只雌性蝙蝠交配,但也有多雄多雌,即多只雄性蝙蝠与多只雌性蝙蝠交配.雌性负责大部分的育儿工作.雄性负责喂养和保护幼崽.刚出生的蝙蝠不会飞,所以牠们会呆在窝里或爬到母亲身上.通常 2-4 周后牠们就能飞了.

Most bat species are polygynous, where one male mates with multiple females, but there are polygynandry systems too, where multiple males mate with multiple females. Females are responsible for most of the parenting care. Males responsible for feeding and protecting young. Newborn bats cannot fly so they stay in the dwell or climb on their mothers. Usually they can fly after 2-4 weeks.