The Hammer-headed bat is the largest bat in mainland Africa. New Jersey's most legendary and most mysterious resident is investigated. | Indeed, websites and social media describe the hammer-headed bat's appearance as "the spitting image of a devil" and even claim that it's a cryptid known as the "Jersey Devil." [19] The classical lek is defined by four criteria:[10], Males form these leks along streams or riverbeds during the mating season, which lasts 13 months. [6], A 2011 study found that Hypsignathus was the most basal member of the tribe Epomophorini, which also includes Epomops, Micropteropus, Epomophorus, and Nanonycteris. Probably juuuust a coincidence. When a female's selection is made, she lands beside a male and mating occurs. [10] In the before-dawn peak in activity, copulation is less frequent, and males spend time jockeying with each other for the best display territory. In some populations, breeding is thought to take place semi-annually during the dry seasons. They are also susceptible to severe parasite infestations. The sizes are a bit off given that some people stated that the Jersey Devil was between 6-8 feet tall and the bat has a wing span of 27-38 inches and a total length of 7.7-11.2 inches, weighing 8-15.9 ounces and the females are slightly smaller. Adults are commonly affected by parasites such as flies and mites. Get text updates from The Nature Conservancy: TNC staff survey plants and wildlife as part of a study to see how the ecosystem is re-colonizing low areas of the marsh post-restoration. Females tend to travel a consistent route to find predictable fruits, whereas males travel more to find the highest quality fruit. Diamondback terrapins live in brackish. Males and females are similar in size for their first year of life. Habitat:These sharks commonly reside on continental shelves, and in bays and other inshore waters. In 2013 I had a sighting of this alien cryptid which I had named "Big Bat". Enter your email address to subscribe to Week in Weird and receive the latest weird news delivered directly to your inbox! They have patches of white fur at the base of the ears, though sometimes indistinct. In 1718, Leeds retired and his son, the amazingly named Titan Leeds, took over both the family affairs and their penchant for feuding. She is also the author of The Uprising Series and is the CEO of G-Force Marketing & Publicity, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has obtained film, television, radio, and print placements for blue-chip clients all over the world. Hammerhead Shark - Island Beach State Park, NJ - YouTube It has patches of white fur at the base of the ears, though sometimes indistinct. Males have a large head with enlarged rostrum, larynx and lips that allows for the production of loud honking calls; the appearance of females is similar to most other fruit bats. The young sharks will generally remain in the estuary to grow in size, skill and confidence for about a year before swimming out to the open ocean where life is a bit more dangerous. Employing a technique that uses dredged sediment from clogged boat channels to give struggling marshes a boost, TNC and partners have restored 60 acres of marsh in Avalon and Fortescue. The hammerhead bat is a large bat typically residing in the central-African tropical forests. Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. . Hammer-headed bats are prone to infection by mites and Hepatocystis carpenteri, a protozoan that affects the liver. Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. The bat that uses its hammer-shaped head to sing. After all, who could believe that Pine Barrens is actually haunted by a long-legged, cloven-hooved, bat-winged monster with a long, goat-like face and a body like a kangaroo? Hammerhead's Habitat and Appearance . The bat has a longer intestine than that of an insectivorous species, allowing it to absorb more protein from its food. Strong sexual dimorphism is observed in the species, as males are significantly larger than females. [17], Little is known about reproduction in hammer-headed bats. [12] Upon finding suitable fruit, the hammer-headed bat may eat at the tree or pick the fruit and carry it away to another site for consumption. (MacNamara et al., 1979; Langevin and Barclay, 1990) Habitat Regions tropical Terrestrial Biomes forest Wetlands swamp Other Habitat Features riparian Range elevation 1800 (high) m 5905.51 (high) ft Dunning notes that there's one particular animal in the New Jersey area that might be responsible forat least a few JerseyDevil stories: the sandhill crane. One reason large bats such as the hammer-headed bat are nocturnal is because their bodies generate considerable heat when they are flying. Females reach sexual maturity at 6 months of age. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous' Polygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male. Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). Animals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents. Females will fly through the lek, selecting a male by landing on a branch next to him. It is larger than an adult human in size and looks like as drawn. Allegedly, Leeds was also a big mysticism guy, and had published a text calledThe Temple of Wisdom,where he discussed things like sorcery and devils. The conservation status of the hammer-headed bat was last evaluated in 2016. Charitable Solicitation Disclosures Apex predators like great white and mako sharks lurk in the deep and will not hesitate to make a meal out of their smaller cousins. Females use trap-lining, in which they travel an established route with dependable and predictable food sources, even if the food is lower quality. In 2013 I had a sighting of this alien cryptid which I had named "Big Bat". Scientists have been tracking shark movements using technology for years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat Hammerhead bat from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hammerhead-bat/ The Jersey Devil https://www.thoughtco.com/hammer-headed-bat-facts-4177418 (accessed May 1, 2023). Some smooth dogfish will live their entire lives in the back bays. It is not considered a species of conservation concern due to its large range and presumably large population size. [10], Its predators are not well-documented, but may include avian species such as the long-tailed hawk. Earlier this month, a Cleveland bat boy went viral for rocking long hair while working for the clean-shaven Yankees. Bat Magazine. There, they produce loud, honking vocalizations to attract females. In the forest canopy, they also rely on camouflage to hide them from predators. [10] Internally, it is known to be affected by the liver parasite Hepatocystis carpenteri. Privacy Statement Females reach reproductive maturity faster than males; they can reproduce at six months and reach adult size by nine months of age. Description: The hallmark of these slender sharks is their long tail (caudal) fins, which measure roughly half the total length of their body. The average weight of males is 420g (15oz), compared to 234g (8.3oz) for females. Figs make up much of their diet, but mangos, bananas and guavas may also be consumed. Bernadette Giacomazzo is a NYC-based editor, writer, photographer, and publicist with a career spanning more than two decades in the entertainment industry. The hammer-headed bat, also known as hammer-headed fruit bat and big-lipped bat, is a megabat species whose range is distributed across the tropical forests of central Africa. If you read on the Wikipedia page about the Jersey Devil, it seems that this creature is only a local legend in New Jersey. . axisvideo, The picture was published in 1909 in the Philadelphia Bulletin. Many believe that what was seen as the Jersey Devil was actually a hammerhead bat, but this bat is exclusive to certain regions of Africa. As far as the face of the Hammerhead Bat it appears to be a better explanation of what people of the Pine Barrens have been seeing as opposed to the Sandhill Crane. Members of the same group show little interaction with each other: they do not "squabble", vocalize, or groom each other. Hammer-Headed Bat Facts (Big-Lipped Bat) - ThoughtCo People Are Losing Their Sh*t Over How Cute Hammerhead Bats Are Habitat: Inhabiting coastal and deep ocean waters alike, they are familiar fish in New York Harbor and along New Jerseys coast. [7] Some taxonomists do not recognize Epomophorinae as a valid subfamily and include its taxa, including the Epomophorini, within Rousettinae. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. While roosting, individuals in a group are approximately 10-15 cm (3.9-5.9 in) apart, with males on the periphery and females nearer the center. Females may become pregnant up to twice per year, giving birth after five or six months gestation[10] to one offspring at a time,[12] though twins have been reported. They are active during the night, probably in order to avoid overheating. Hammerhead bat the real Jersey Devil? - Unexplained Mysteries For now, the Jersey Devil is no more than a legend that the locals find funny, similar to Mothman. Megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa, "Evolutionary relationships of the old world fruit bats (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae): Another star phylogeny? 1. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. There is evidence that Delaware Bay may be a nursey area for sand tiger sharks. [10] Males have wingspans up to 90.1cm (2.96ft),[11] and all individuals have forearm lengths exceeding 112mm (4.4in). In addition to facing extermination at the hands of fed-up farmers, hammer-headed bats in certain countries must also remain on the lookout for hunters who want to eat them. Sharks of New Jersey & How We're Restoring Habitat [12] The guano (feces) typically contains seeds from ingested fruits, indicating that it may be an important seed disperser. That said, the hammer-headed bat is a threat in another, perhaps more surprising way. Some have suggested that the strange-looking, long-faced hammerhead bat(Hypsignathus monstrosus), which can have a wingspan of almost 40 inches, looks a lot like the traditional depiction of the cryptid. [10] During most of the day, individuals sleep with their noses covered by their wings. The. Hammer-headed fruit bat, Big-lipped bat, Hammer-headed bat, Hammer-headed fruit bat, Big-lipped bat. Nevertheless, you shouldn't get too close, because it's one of three species of African fruit bat believed to carry the Ebola virus. Habitat: Warmer coastal waters in the south are their preference, but they appear regularly along the coast of New Jersey. [10] It relies on camouflage to hide from predators. The hammer-headed bat is sometimes considered a pest due to its frugivorous diet and its extremely loud honking noises at night. In 2016 a great white nursery was discovered in the New York Bight, an area along the Atlantic Coast that extends northeasterly fromCape MayInlet in New Jersey toMontauk Pointon the eastern tip ofLong Island, New York. If the grassy expanses continue to degrade unchecked, they will no longer provide the nurturing resources and conditions to sustain sharks and many other species. [13] Females reach sexual maturity faster than males, and can reproduce at six months. Their moderately long, rounded snout contributes to their overall length of up to eight feet. A HORSE LIKE FACE: Based on this varied description, the Jersey Devil's face could resemble a deer, horse, kangaroo, moose or a bat, all of which are land mammals that mankind has been familiar with for many centuries. The average female weighs eight ounces and doesnt appear all that different from other fruit bats. Males gather in a particular region, known as a lek and there they establish "display territories". In captivity, hammer-headed bats, particularly males, are vulnerable to stress-related illness, especially when moved or placed in new enclosures.[31]. The bats have been spotted from Senegal in Western Africa to northern Angola, nearly 3,000 miles to the southeast. And, because they keep the food chain balanced, sharks also indirectly sustain marine environments like seagrass beds and reefs. Hammer-headed bats are nocturnal creatures and sleep during the day in tree roosts. hammerhead bat | Strange Animals Podcast [24], The hammer-headed bat has been investigated as a potential reservoir of the Ebola virus. Did you mean to type Unlike many other bat species that segregate based on sex, males and females will roost together during the day. Hammerhead bats are native to Central Africa, and . The Jersey Devil: Hammerhead Bat Theory (Axis Video) - YouTube [12] Leks consist of 20135 males in an area about 40m (130ft) wide and 4001,600m (1,3005,200ft) long. But while it may look like a carnivore, it only eats fruit. The bats usually gather in roosts with less than five individual animals, even though . Summaries. Jersey Devil | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom On a river in the African country of Gabon, behavioral ecologist Jack Bradbury went searching for one of the most unusual of animals: the hammerhead bat. Habitat: Habitat for this species includes the surf zone, shallow bays, and coral and rocky reefs. Previous studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have revealed that leks or mating groups of hammer-headed bats are considered reservoirs of the Ebola virus. Males overall have boxy heads with enormous lips, while the females, with their narrower snouts, have more foxlike faces. The hammer-headed bat was described as a new species in 1861 by American scientist Harrison Allen. Females usually give birth to one offspring. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). [13] Newborns weigh approximately 40g (1.4oz) at birth. [10], The wings are characterized by low aspect ratio, meaning that it has a smaller wingspan relative to the wing area. Meet The Hammer-Headed Bat, The African Megabat Thats Been Dubbed One Of The Worlds Ugliest Creatures. Female bats fly through the lek, select a male they wish to mate with, and land on the branch beside him. Females appear more like a typical megabat, with foxlike faces. [3] The holotype had been collected by French-American zoologist Paul Du Chaillu[3] in Gabon. Fun Fact: Sandbar sharks are the most commonly seen toothed shark in New Jerseys coastal bays. The common adjective is "nocturnal", A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. In Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is consumed as bushmeat. As one of the largest bats in the world, one would think that it would be a . [10] The males at the center of the lek have the most success, and are responsible for the majority of matings:[12] the top 6% of males have 79% of the total matings. Check out a sample Nature News email. Males, in contrast, search for areas rich with food, traveling up to 10 km (6.2 mi) to reach particularly good food patches. The GPS trackers we deployed, and seen on this bat, will help us understand the ecology and behavior of hammer-headed bats. Females use trap-lining, in which they travel an established route with dependable and predictable food sources, even if the food is of lower quality. Cool bat. 10 of the World's Scariest-Looking Animals, Sea Dragon Facts: Diet, Habitat, Reproduction, Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College. Females visit the lek and select a male to mate with; the most successful 6% of males are involved in 79% of matings. | Is the Hammerhead Bat a Real Animal? - WorldAtlas Coastal conservation projects in help New Jersey salt marshes stand up to a rising sea. I happened upon a post by a Facebook friend which depicted a real animal that is called the hammerhead bat, and to my surprise this looked so much like the mysterious cryptid creature I recalled having witnessed one time, which I have listed here on this page. There have been anecdotes of the Hammer-headed bats killing and eating chickens, or consuming scraps of meat from bird carcasses left by humans. | In addition to its use as a food source in these Equatorial African countries, hammer-headed bats also occasionally turn up in wet markets in other parts of Africa and throughout the world. Im on my second guardian angel.. my first one quit and is now in therapy. As Dan Evon of Snopes reports, though, there's another possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings. For now, conservationists simply continue to monitor one of Africas most iconic bat species. The male then lets out a staccato buzz sound, mates with the female, and hangs on the branch again, honking for the next female. Females tend to travel a consistent route to find predictable fruits, whereas males travel more to find the highest quality fruit. Females may become pregnant up to twice per year, giving birth to one offspring at a time, though twins have been reported. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. While roosting, individuals in a group are approximately 1015cm (3.95.9in) apart, with males on the periphery and females nearer the center. Due to their frugivorous diet Hammer-headed bats are important seeds dispersers in their ecosystem and they also serve as a food source for some birds of prey. Leeds, meanwhile, published an almanac which directly competed with the one published by Benjamin Franklin: the future founding father was all-too-awareof the Leeds family's reputation, and started insinuating that the very much alive Titan was actually a ghost that was haunting Franklin from beyond the grave. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. We've collected a few other images of the hammerhead bat for comparison: Images of the hammer-headed bat are often met with skepticism, and some viewers claim that this odd-looking creature could be the real-world animal responsible for various sightings of mythical creatures such as the "New Jersey Devil.". Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. Males, in contrast, search for areas rich with food, traveling up to 10km (6.2mi) to reach particularly good food patches. Ocean biodiversity begins with sharks, which are key indicators of an ecosystems health; if they are thriving, then the ecosystem is functioning well. They can fly. Adults commonly host parasites. The bat has a life expectancy of thirty years in the wild. Well, that's the thing. Males range in weight from 8.0 to 15.9oz, while females weigh 7.7 to 13.3oz. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. The tongue has backwards-facing papillae used to extract juice from fruits. In July 2018, many social media users wondered if they were witnessing a similar creation in an image of an odd-looking, large animal said to be a "hammerhead bat": We have not been able to pinpoint the exact origins of this photograph, but we can say that the hammerhead bat (also known as the "hammer-headed bat") is a genuine animal that looks like the one pictured here. After mating, the female immediately departs, and the male resumes displaying. Instead, at sunset, individuals groom themselves then set off independently to forage. The hammer-headed bat is frugivorous, consuming a variety of fruits such as figs, bananas, and mangoes, though a few instances of carnivory have been noted. These leks are usually formed along streams or riverbeds and consist of 20-135 males. The Sandhill Crane, in flight and standing. Hammer-headed bat - Wikipedia Liz Taylor. 9 Humongous Hammer-headed Bat Facts - Fact Animal The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 53-0242652) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Michele D'Amico supersky77 / Getty Images. Males and females greatly differ in appearance which makes it the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. Hammer-Headed Bat Facts (Big-Lipped Bat). I guess a person could think it was high in the sky when really it wasn't very far above them. Its also the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat. There are some theories the Devil might be a non-native animal that someone brought over, like a Hammerhead Bat. It is believed to be the only bat species with a classical lek mating system, wherein males gather on a "lek", which in this case is a long and thin stretch of land, such as along a river. They are active during the night, probably in order to avoid overheating. [22] Its ability to produce extremely loud vocalizations means that some consider it one of Africa's most significant nocturnal pests. The gestation period lasts around 5 or 6 months. It's easy! AsCape Bay Magazineexplains, it may have its roots in a simple historical feud. They eat fruit mostly figs. It has been reported to move quickly and is often described as emitting a high-pitched "blood-curdling scream"." The Jersey Devil (and how Ben Franklin used it in a fear campaign) - NAMNAB The species is locally common and is typically found in lowland tropical moist forests, riverine forests, swamp forests, mangroves and palm forests, where it roosts in trees. Unlike many other bat species that segregate based on sex, males and females will roost together during the day. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. [10] It has a wide range in West and Central Africa, including the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. Updated: 16:45, 15 Aug 2018 THE hammerhead bat looks like something straight from the special effects department of a horror movie - but in parts of Africa they're as common as cats. But just going on looks I can see how if people saw this bat they could confuse it with some of the depictions of JD. Both males and females are grayish brown, with brown ears and flight membranes, and tufts of white fur at the base of the ears. The Orion Project - Big Bat Some have suggested that the strange-looking, long-faced hammerhead bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), which can have a wingspan of almost 40 inches, looks a lot like the traditional depiction of the cryptid. Some smooth dogfish will live their entire lives in the . Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). [10] Thus, females have 36 chromosomes (34 autosomes and two sex chromosomes), and males have 35 chromosomes (34 autosomes but only one sex chromosome). As one of the largest bats in the world, one would think that it would be a threat to humankind, especially since it cuts such an imposing figure. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Hammer-Headed Bat Facts (Big-Lipped Bat)." Males and females both have dark brown fur, with a paler mantle (sides and back of neck). Youve already signed up with this email address. 2023 The Nature Conservancy While figs are their favored food, they also eat bananas, mangoes, and guavas. Offspring are born five or six months later, typically a singleton, though twins have been documented. Therefore, males have greatly enlarged larynges, about three times the size of females',[12] extending through most of the thoracic cavity, and measuring half the length of the spine. In Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, these bats are hunted and consumed as bushmeat. And they are a critical nursery for biodiversity, sustaining birds, crabs, and fish includingsharks. To manage or opt-out of receiving cookies, please visit our. Male hammer-headed bats can have a wingspan of greater than three feet. These estuary habitats clean the water and act as a first-line defense against the force of incoming waves for coastal communities. Unexplained-Mysteries.com T. S. Palmer speculated that Allen chose the name Hypsignathus to allude to the "deeply arched mouth" of the species. Females reach adult size by nine months of age. Is there a possibility th. The early evening peak is when the majority of copulation occurs. In New Jerseys back bays and marshes, juvenile sandbar sharks often feed on blue crabs. Ugly. In November 2017 when I channeled the Zeta Reticulans, I had another sighting of this large bat, and so now I feel confident to list this as a species. This illustration of a hammer-headed bat appeared in. Juveniles, called pups, receive no maternal care after their live birth, so will quickly take protective cover among the marsh grasses. DeAgostini/Getty ImagesThe hammer-headed bat is also known as the big-lipped bat. [1] It is not a common bat species in captivity, though it is kept at the Wrocaw Zoo in Poland as of 2020,[30] and was kept at the Bronx Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the 1970s and 1980s. Instead, they have a harem system. They favor humid habitats, including rivers, swamps, mangroves, and palm forests. Its predators are not well-known, but may include hawks. Sign up for a new account in our community. Its predators are not well-known, but may include hawks. These differences include several adaptations that help males produce and amplify vocalizations: the males' larynges (vocal cords) are about three times as large as those of females, and they have large resonating chambers on their faces. However it is interesting that I would have seen the creature in mental images, presumably before I had known about the Jersey Devil, especially considering how surprised I was to come across this picture of the Jersey Devil, and that my Big Bat and the Jersey Devil would look identical to each other. Title VI Notice of Nondiscrimination Figs make up much of their diet, but mangos, bananas, and guavas may also be consumed. In fact, they dont usually gather in large family groups at all. 2. Juveniles that survive this first foray into the Atlantic often return a few months later to their birth bay to spend a second year maturing. "Hypsignathus Monstrosus: Hammer-Headed Fruit Bat." True and I agree with what you said going on the size factor. An adult bat ranges from 7.7 to 11.2 in body length, with a wingspan of 27.0 to 38.2in. I had at first not listed the big bat as an alien species, I had meant to list it, but the second sighting was helpful. Groups are of mixed sex and age, unlike other bat species which segregate based on sex. Jersey Devil seen by many, reportedly caught 100 years ago - Inquirer.com Because of their all-fruit diet, theyre considered a pest by many African farmers, who eliminate them when necessary to save their crops. Much like theChupacabra, the Mothman, and even the Hydra, the Jersey Devil's true origins may be found in the animal kingdom. Though most commonly observed far from shore, at times they will venture closer in search of food.
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