Bats: Glossary

A

audible

able to be heard or to hear

C

Chiroptera

scientific name for bats

carnivores

meat eaters

clotting

the process of blood that allows it to stop flowing from an injury

conservation

protecting nature and its resources

E

echo

a sound reflected from a surface

echolocation

natural ability of some animals to use echoes for locating food and navigation

excrement

body waste or poop

F

fangs

sharp teeth that can pierce food or skin

fertilizer

a material that improves the soil

G

germinate

to begin growth

guano

bat poop (see "excrement")

H

habitat

environment where an animal lives

L

litter

a group of animal babies born at one time to a mother animal

M

mammal

animals that have live births, feed milk to their young and have hair or fur

N

nocturnal

animals that hunt at night and sleep during the day

P

pollinate

to move pollen from one part of a plant to another

puncturing

to poke a hole

R

rabies

an infectious disease

rodents

small nibbling mammals such as mice, rats, and squirrels

roost

bat living area

S

saliva

spit

stroke

a medical condition where a blood vessel in the brain bursts or is blocked, causing damage to the brain