Are bats flying rodents?
The thing is that these creatures belong to the order Chiroptera, while rodents are of an absolutely different order. Ambiguity might be caused by the fact that these flying creatures have probably descended from a land animal. Some species are able to climb trees and even to swim! Bats and rodents belong to separate orders, although a bat's snout does have a lot in common with a rodent's snout, doesn't it?
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
What are your thoughts on this subject?
94 Comments
Pat Butler
Rodents are in the order Rodentia while the 1000 or so species of bats are in the order Chiroptera, consequently they are not rodents unless, of course, you don't believe in science; in which case, all rules are off and your beliefs trump empirical facts even though modern civilization is built on science.
Timothy Chapman
Tony get your facts straight I got it wrong myself I them google it an a bat IS NOT a rodent. I really don't understand you idiots. You all think you know everything g just get a freaking life I hate really hate reading your alls stupid post. All the time you think you know everything I don't really like people who think they know everything.
Cathy Mattheus
I agree just enjoy the quiz ,why get uptight about it and have long debates about it
Ryan Mike
You're blinding me with science! !! * bad bat /80's music joke! !*
Duncan Beach
Bill Tautphaeus I wrote the question. You and Tony need to actually STUDY some Zoology and Naturalism. I can recommend some BASIC textbooks for 1st-3rd graders, if your scientific skills are so rusty...
Robert Thompson
Yes but essential to the balance of nature .
Louella Wilson
My dictionary defines a rodent as "a gnawing mammal of an order that includes rats, mice, squirrels, hamsters, porcupines, and their relatives, distinguished by strong constantly growing incisors and no canine teeth."
Bats simply do not have constantly growing incisors.
And also, vermin is not a class of animal.
Duncan Beach
Ah, so you're talking about humans, RIGHT, Chad?
Larry Freeman
Dayum! Who whizzed in your Post Toasties?
Darlene Warner
Bats do so fly
Randy
It shows a young girl holding the bat in the picture, but bats are covered in deadly bacteria. She should have been wearing some heavy gloves.
Harvey Zachman
I only got it wrong because I got it wrong.
Paulette Arnold
elizawheeler, I assume you are talking about cute bats. Some are and bats are very helpful, being eaters of insects. But you should see fruit bats! They are really big and some quite ugly, but they are useful and interesting. Look it up.😊
John
Pat Butler, that's what the answer says.
Stephen Forest
Bats have been incorrectly categorized. Put them in the rodent file!
Michael Doherty
Shouldn’t it have been mentioned in the answer that bats are mammals, in fact the only flying mammal?
elizawheeler
I think they are cute:)
Chris Brown
Actually, although bats are small like rodents, they're more closely related to primates and humans than they are to mice or rats. And, yet, the German name is "die Fledermaus", which translates as flying mouse, perhaps from the belief that bats, mice, rats etc are related. Apparently not so.
Vance Duncan
They identify as rodents
Deborah Koreneff
I love the expression on that baby bat's face - it looks so contented.
Bill Ladd Sr.
It sounds like a ton of Guano to me!
Susannah Landis
I look for bats on summer evenings. They like humidity. I guess the hot moist air brings out more insects, especially mosquitoes, so there's plenty for them to eat. I'm lucky if I see one bat all summer. They've been killed off by white-nose syndrome.
deborahpmercer
I thought they were rodents so got the question wrong and can still see a case for them being rodents. But let's not get personally abusive about it, okay?