Bats
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of over 60 bat (Chiroptera) specimens. These date from 1890 to 2006.
This collection includes 24 mounted specimens, six skeletons, eight skins and 23 specimens in spirit. Some parasites (mites and similar) from bat specimens are also preserved. The collection represents 16 bat species. Seven of the species represented are British and all are members of the insect eating Microchiroptera. Most of these are preserved as skins and mounted specimens. The nine non-British species represented include some Microchiroptera (most of which are preserved in spirit) and some of the larger Megachiroptera, including fruit bats. The specimens come from India, Guyana and Trinidad.
About bats
There are over 1,400 species of bat in the world. Most bats feed on insects, fruit or nectar but some feed on other animals, such as the vampire bats from Central and South America who feed on blood from other mammals. Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly and their forelimbs have evolved to be used as wings. - Broader term
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