When it comes to unexpected horror stories, humans may never beat nature at its scariest. In Germany, rats reportedly like to intercept bats near hibernation sites, killing and feasting on the local bat population.

Understandably, the researchers, reporting their findings in a recent Global Ecology and Conservation paper, hoped this was an “extreme scenario—a small rat population subsisting exclusively on bats.” But their investigation revealed frighteningly systematic ways in which brown rats, Rattus norvegicus, prey on the bat species Myotis daubentonii and Myotis nattereri.

If that wasn’t enough, these rats prey on bats residing in two key winter refuges for bats in northern Germany, leading the researchers to issue a strong warning for the safety of bat populations.

A nocturnal hunting spree

The investigation unfolded over several years. First, in 2020, the researchers used infrared surveillance cameras to document the rats’ behavior near the Segeberger Kalkberg, one of two caves hosting urban bat populations in northern Germany. This early observation, conducted over five weeks, chronicled 30 predation attempts and 13 confirmed kills of the bats by the rats.

Additionally, the “remains of at least 52 bats were found in a cache, clearly indicating regular feeding behavior and possibly food hoarding, as not all carcasses were fully consumed,” according to the paper.

The videos also revealed two distinct hunting strategies. While patrolling the area frequented by bats, the rats will either intercept bats midair or ambush them after they land. In both cases, the rats took distinct positions near their target, lunging forward and quickly dealing the killing bite. If the initial attack didn’t finish the job, the rats would hold the bat in place using their forelegs to deliver a second bite.

Follow-up investigations between 2021 and 2024 allowed the team to collect more evidence of rat predation on bats, including a “cache of bat carcasses” deep inside a rock near the Lüneburger Kalkberg, the other prominent bat residence.

The arrangement of the hoard closely resembled how rats had collected bat cadavers at the Segeberger Kalkberg, the researchers noted, implying that brown rats were responsible for these morbid storages as well.

The bats are not okay

Brown rats are not the natural predators of bats; it’d be more accurate to say that the rats will feast on anything available to them, the paper noted. For example, brown rats living near Japanese fish markets have a diet that is 86% fish.

What this implies is that, although bats may not constitute the entire diet for these rats, it is still possible that the bats make up a significant portion of their diet. If so, the impact of rat sieges could pose a serious threat for bat populations, which play “critical ecological roles and deliver substantial ecosystem services worldwide, including insect suppression, seed dispersal, and pollination,” the researchers added.

This unexpected interaction should also be concerning to humans, as both bats and rats are known carriers for a wide variety of pathogens—such as the coronavirus. While the paper did not specifically study pathogen transfers, it emphasized that the interactions themselves could easily become a “potential pathogen exchange between two major wildlife reservoirs.”

With their flat bodies and long, barbed tails, stingrays look like creatures from another world. These marine-dwelling vertebrates are found in warm and shallow waters around the Earth’s tropical and subtropical regions, however, and in freshwater lakes and rivers.

The stunning stingray is quite common worldwide. But, below, learn 15 fun facts about them and find out what makes these marine animals so unique.

1. Stingrays Are Carnivores

Stingrays are purely carnivorous, preying on animals that live on or under the sand. A study that examined diet reconstruction in southern stingrays along the Caribbean found that stingrays fed primarily on crustaceans, ray-finned fish, and worms. Supplemental research found that the species consumed at least 65 prey types — as many as 30 each day.

2. They Move by Flapping Their ‘Wings’

Stingrays may look like they’re flying through the water, but a closer look will reveal a graceful flapping motion propelling them through. Most species undulate their bodies to get from place to place, moving like an underwater wave, but others tend to flap their sides up and down like wings. Research conducted by the Save Our Seas Foundation found that stingrays in South Africa moved at 1.35 kilometers per hour (0.83 miles per hour), and some species took migrations as far as 850 kilometers (528 miles).

3. Stingrays Are Closely Related to Sharks

They may not have sharp teeth, but stingrays still share several similarities with sharks. They are both part of the same group of cartilaginous fish (meaning their skeletons are supported by cartilage instead of bones) and have similar skin. They also use the same ampullae of Lorenzini sensors, which are special sensing organs that pick up on the electrical signals emitted by prey.

4. Stingray Babies Are Born Fully Developed

Babies, called pups, can swim and feed immediately after being born, and most species require no parental care. Scientists are just starting to understand how getting caught (even accidentally) can cause premature births in ray species. In a study published in the journal Biological Conservation, about 85% of blue stingrays lost their offspring after being caught.

5. Females Are Larger Than Males

Not only do females reach sexual maturity faster than males, they tend to live longer. Among round stingrays, a particularly fast-growing species, females and males reach 58% and 70% of their full size, respectively, within the first year of life. Females live for an average of 15-22 years, while males only live five to seven years.

6. Stingray Touch Tanks Are a Touchy Subject

The research on whether or not stingrays like being touched is controversial at best. For example, the AZA-certified Shedd Aquarium in Chicago published findings in 2017 suggesting that the animals don’t suffer from their interactions with humans, and might even enjoy it. Just a year later, however, 34 of the aquarium’s 42 cownose stingrays featured in the touch exhibit mysteriously died.

7. They Are Venomous

We all remember when beloved television personality and wildlife activist Steve Irwin was fatally pierced in the heart by a stingray in 2006. Stingrays have long, thin tails with between one and three venomous barbs attached, and the sting usually causes immense pain and risk of infection at the wound site. According to the National Capital Poison Control Center, there are about 1,500 to 2,000 stingray injuries reported each year in the United States, and most are on the legs or feet.

8. They Sleep in the Sand

While resting, stingrays bury their bodies in the sand, leaving their defensive barb sticking out to protect themselves as they sleep. This can be problematic in areas where humans enter the water, so it is recommended that beachgoers do the “stingray shuffle” to produce vibrations in the sand and warn stingrays of their presence.

9. There Are More Than 200 Species of Stingrays

Experts estimate that there are about 220 different species of stingrays across the world’s oceans, lakes, and freshwater rivers. The smalleye stingray is one of the ocean’s rarest species, with a wingspan of over 7 feet, white spots, and tiny eyes (hence the nickname). Before the early 2000s, there were only a handful of sightings, but sightings are quickly becoming more frequent; researchers have seen 70 individuals off the coast of southern Mozambique over the past 15 years. 

10. Some Species Chew Their Food

Biologists at University of Toronto filmed freshwater stingrays munching on soft fish, shrimp, and hard-shelled dragonfly nymphs using high-speed cameras. The findings suggested that mammals and stingrays had evolved similar methods of breaking down food independently of each other. Before that, mammals were believed to be the only animals to chew their food.

11. They Lived at the Same Time as Dinosaurs

In 2019, a team from the Institute of Paleontology of the University of Vienna discovered a fossil stingray dated at over 50 million years old. The research provided new links to radiation caused by the aftermath of the Cretaceous mass extinction event. Further molecular data suggested that modern stingrays diverged from a sister group during the Late Jurassic, about 150 million years ago.

12. Stingrays Are Different Than Manta Rays

Though they are often lumped into the same category, stingrays and manta rays are actually different. A manta ray’s mouth is found along the front edge of its body while a stingray’s is located on the underside of its body. Manta rays also lack the stingray’s signature tail stinger or barb and live in the open ocean rather than on the seafloor.

13. They Can Get Pretty Large

In 2009, a giant freshwater stingray was caught and released in Thailand that measured 14 feet long and between 700 pounds and 800 pounds heavy. One of the largest freshwater fish ever documented, the female Himantura polylepis stingray was also estimated to be anywhere from 35 to 40 years old.

14. They Can Detect Magnetic Fields

Scientists conducted tests on yellow stingrays in 2020 to prove the animals could use Earth’s magnetic field to maintain their sense of direction while navigating through their environment. They found evidence that not only proved stingrays could detect changes within the geomagnetic field but also that they could use the field to their advantage by orienting themselves and maintaining a heading during navigation.

15. More Than 25 Stingray Species Are Endangered

The IUCN Red List of Endangered Species lists at least 26 species of stingrays as either Endangered or Critically Endangered. Most species are little known and have decreasing populations, as well, complicating conservation efforts. Among the endangered species is the roughnose cowtail ray, whose population has declined between 50% and 79% over the past 60 years due to exploitation and habitat loss.

Did you know that “armadillo” means “little armored one” in Spanish? Or that the fascinating animal’s armor consists of bony plates covered in keratin? There are about 20 species of armadillo, and all of them descend from South American ancestors. Armadillos are diverse in size, behavior, and habitat too. These, and other facts about the armadillo are unknown to many people. But, below, we’ll tell you 13 things that are a delight to discover about the curious creatures.

For example, the IUCN considers two species of armadillo vulnerable and five as near threatened. Five additional species are data deficient and likely threatened. In 2016, scientists divided the greater long-nosed armadillo into three separate species. Scientists have not evaluated those species since the new classification.

Here are 13 interesting facts to know about the strange-looking armadillo.

1. Only One Armadillo Species Is Found in the United States

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the only armadillo species that migrated to North America. It was long limited to humid subtropical areas of the United States. Now, these armadillos are found as far north as Nebraska and Illinois. Warmer winters caused by climate change may further expand their range.

They always give birth to identical young formed from the splitting of a single fertilized egg. Among mammals, this reproduction method is unique to nine-banded and other Dasypus armadillos. When startled, the nine-banded armadillo jumps 3-4 feet straight up.

2. Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillos Are Lazarus Species

Brazilian three-banded armadillos were believed extinct until 1988. Since then, researchers have found scattered, small populations. Animals that are wrongly believed extinct are called Lazarus species.

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN and considered endangered by Brazil. The total population is unknown because of the difficulties in accurately counting this nocturnal animal. Much of its habitat is being converted to sugarcane and soybean fields. Poaching is another significant threat to the species.

3. Giant Glyptodonts Are The Armadillo’s Extinct Kin

Glyptodonts were heavily armored, dinosaur-sized, early mammals. In 2016, scientists determined glyptodonts were a subfamily of armadillos that first appeared 35 million years ago. They became extinct around the end of the last ice age, while their smaller and more lightly armored relatives survived. Humans hunted these two-ton animals for meat. They then created shelters from the bony carapace.

4. Armadillos Sleep Up to 16 Hours Each Day

As nocturnal animals, armadillos perform most activities — foraging, eating, burrowing, mating — at night. During the daylight hours, they spend up to 16 hours sleeping, usually in burrows. Armadillos rarely share their burrows with other armadillos, although they do share them with tortoises, snakes, and rats. When awake, armadillos spend more time foraging than most mammals. Only two marsupials and ground squirrels spend more active time feeding.

5. Armadillos Spread Leprosy

Armadillos are the only nonhuman animals to spread leprosy, now called Hansen’s Disease. The bacteria that causes the disease thrives due to the armadillo’s low body temperature. Researchers believe armadillos acquired Hansen’s disease from 15th-century explorers. Humans contract armadillo-borne Hansen’s disease by hunting them or eating their meat. In some cases, people become infected from inhaling armadillo fecal spores.

6. Only 2 Species of Armadillo Are Capable of Rolling Into a Ball

A common myth is that armadillos curl up into tight balls and roll away. None actively choose to roll away from predators. The only armadillos able to curl into tight balls are two species belonging to the Tolypeutes genus. These are commonly known as the Brazilian and Southern three-banded armadillos. All other armadillo species have too many plates, making this level of flexibility impossible.

7. The Giant Armadillo Is the Largest of the Species

Giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) are the largest living armadillos, weighing 45 to 130 pounds in the wild. In captivity, they’ve reached 176 pounds. They extend nearly 5.9 feet long, including their tail. Their 8-inch middle front claws are the longest claws of any mammal.

IUCN lists the giant armadillo as a vulnerable species. Their primary threats are hunting for meat and habitat loss. Additionally, poaching for the illegal pet trade further jeopardizes these giants.

8. The Pink Fairy Armadillo Is the Smallest of the Species

The pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) is named for its pink armor and size. It measures between 4 and 6 inches in length and weighs about 3.5 ounces. In addition to the armor on their back, they have a vertical rump plate used to backfill burrows.

The species lives in the sandy plain and scrubby grasslands of central Argentina. IUCN lists these rarely seen armadillos as data deficient, but indicators suggest the species may qualify as near threatened. The species is primarily under threat due to habitat loss, while the animal’s popularity on social media has led to an increasing number being captured for pets — a situation in which most of them die within eight days.

9. This Amadillo Screams to Warn Off Predators

The screaming hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) has more than armor as a defense. It has a pair of screeching lungs. Anytime this species perceives a threat, it emits extremely loud, alarm-like vocalizations. Hunters trap this species for its meat and carapace. Despite this harvest, it is a species of least concern across most of its range, covering portions of Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, and Argentina.

10. Pichi Are the Only Armadillo Species to Hibernate

Armadillos spend most of their lives sleeping, but the pichi (Zaedyus pichiy) takes it a step further by hibernating every winter. After building up fat stores and settling down in a burrow, the pichi’s body temperature drops from 95 degrees to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. These armadillos also enter daily states of torpor, a type of mini-hibernation.

This species is found in the Patagonian Steppe and Pampas.

11. Some Armadillo Species Are at Risk for Extinction

While the nine-banded armadillo population currently thrives, other species aren’t as lucky. IUCN lists the Brazilian three-banded and giant armadillo as vulnerable. The Pichi, Southern long-nosed, Northern long-nosed, Southern three-banded, and Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo species are listed as near threatened. Five additional species are data-deficient and potentially endangered as well.

Hunting and habitat loss are the primary threats to armadillos. Mining and deforestation for palm oil plantations, cattle ranching, and other agro-industry factors are the primary drivers of habitat loss. Unfortunately, mining has increased due to the demand for copper to use in electronics.

12. Armadillo Shells Are Used to Make Musical Instruments

Known as charangos, these 10-stringed instruments are an integral part of traditional Andean music in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. While they were once commonly made from an armadillo’s dried shell, contemporary charangos are generally made with wood or sometimes calabash gourds.

Armadillo shells are also used to make carnival rattles called matracas. In 2015, it became illegal to own or sell new armadillo matracas.

13. Armadillos Are Good Swimmers

Armadillos are good swimmers and can hold their breath for 4-6 minutes. They walk underwater across the bottom of streams. When facing larger bodies of water, they gulp air to create buoyancy and then dog paddle. This ability to swim allowed them to expand their range. Armadillos crossing the Rio Grande led to the nine-banded armadillo expanding across the United States during the 20th century.

Do you have an indoor-outdoor cat–and you are worried about the safety of your birds around your home and at your bird feeder?

As you know, we live in a bird sanctuary (for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler), so our cats are strictly indoors-only. (You can learn more about the birds in our area on our bird blog, BirdTipper).

But we know that many of you have indoor-outdoor cats and are concerned about the safety of the birds in your neighborhood. Today we have a special guest post about Birdsbesafe® Cat Collars by Nancy Brennan, originator of Birdsbesafe cat collars and owner of Birdsbesafe LLC:

Let’s start with the chickadee. I had a cat, Jasper, who brought me a captured chickadee on a warm spring-like day. I was so sad about it. The little chickadee had survived the cold northern winter, but not my stealthy housecat. I really like cats, but I also like birds.

Several years later, I was even more of a birdwatcher, which came in handy when I tried to stop another outdoor cat, George, from catching so many birds. (George had been my husband’s cat before I met my husband.) George was an efficient and awful bird-hunter in our woods.

Trying to stop him, I used a birdwatcher’s fun fact. Knowing that all songbirds saw bright colors, I fashioned a special bright collar made of flared fabric, two inches wide. Could it warn the birds away?

While George was still stalking, birds saw him and flew right away. It wrecked his timing. No more captured birds! George, who had brought his prey indoors to us, captured 2 or 3 birds only in the next 16 months. Relief! It felt wonderful!

Later, I named my design the Birdsbesafe® Cat Collar and started selling it on the web. Would it work for other cats, too? It did! For the great majority of customers, about 90%, said Birdsbesafe had resulted in “significantly reduced” numbers of birds caught or no more birds caught.

Birdsbesafe’s bright colors simply, but effectively, give most songbirds enough time to notice the cat and fly away. Songbirds have unique eye anatomy that makes bright colors appear extra-bright, even in low light such as at dawn. Birds may see the cat wearing Birdsbesafe’s colors from a distance, and gain enough time to fly to safety.

Birdsbesafe

Birdsbesafe has many loyal, happy, appreciative customers. We have lots of lovely testimonials on our website. We even have a celebrity author endorsement from a happy customer, author Elizabeth Gilbert.

And Birdsbesafe has helped thousands of birds escape cats, we estimate. Very wonderful, but we want to help even more birds and cat owners.

If you’re not keeping your cat indoors, I hope will give Birdsbesafe a try. It’s safe for your cat with a breakaway design. The products are made in Vermont and we sell organic cotton options.

Learn more about us at www.birdsbesafe.com. And thank you—from the birds and me!

Pin it to remember Birdsbesafe Cat Collars

Photo courtesy Birdsbesafe

Founder at CatTipper

Paris Permenter is an award-winning author of 35+ pet and travel books. Along with her husband John Bigley, Paris is the founder and publisher of CatTipper & DogTipper. Paris and John share their home with three cats and two dogs.

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