Occasionally, groups of up to twenty-five have been documented. It's easy! Males, in contrast, search for areas rich with food, traveling up to 10 km (6.2 mi) to reach particularly good food patches. 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. 1. FYI - The Video loops twice in both parts so the viewer doesn't miss it!I was filming on the beach in Seaside, NJ when an unexpected visitor decided to ride . Here's Why. In 2013 I had a sighting of this alien cryptid which I had named "Big Bat". 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. I think it looks rather cute m. I'd have named it moosehead bat. Unfortunately, bull sharks are often pulled up by fishermen as bycatch, which is one of the reasons that scientists predict that populations are decreasing, but more information is needed, which is why The Nature Conservancy has included the bull shark as part of a larger marine life tagging and tracking program in the Gulf of Mexico. It chews the fruit, swallowing the juice and soft pulp, before spitting out the rest. The species has a lek mating system whereby a few hundred males gather into groups (leks) to attract female mates. Males and females greatly differ in appearance which makes it the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. Hammer-headed fruit bat, Big-lipped bat, Hammer-headed bat, Hammer-headed fruit bat, Big-lipped bat. Some smooth dogfish will live their entire lives in the back bays. Help protect the wetlands and waters that sharks rely on. Young sandbar sharks form schools in shallow coastal nursery grounds, moving into deeper warmer waters in winter. 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. Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) also has a hammer-head face. His name is Nate Rosenhaus and now his band, The Open Doors, will be playing . In the early 18th century, a New Jersey Quaker called Daniel Leeds started drifting away from local Quaker leaders, who disliked his political views. Meet The Hammer-Headed Bat, The Largest Megabat In Africa - All That's Females reach adult size by nine months of age. Males do not assist females in caring for offspring. It is not unusual for tagged great whitessometimes with amusing names like Mary Lee (who has her own Twitter account), Ironbound and Mapleto ping off the coast of New Jersey. Enter your email address to subscribe to Week in Weird and receive the latest weird news delivered directly to your inbox! It much resembles the fruit bat which is a species of bat on Earth, although the head of this big bat reminds me of the head of a horse. The Jersey Devil is a creature native to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. It forages at night, sleeping during the day in tree roosts. | From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil A profile on the large fruit bat from Bat Magazine provides some more information about this unusual-looking animal: The hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), widely distributed in equatorial Africa, is one of three species of African fruit bat thought to be asymptomatically infected with the Ebola virus; though scientists do not know if the species is an incidental host or a reservoir of Ebolavirus. This creature seems to be by all means associated with the Agenda group. Public DomainThis illustration of a hammer-headed bat appeared in The American Museum Congo Expedition Collection of Bats c. 1917. [18] Males display for around four hours before foraging, with peaks in lekking activity in the early evening and before dawn. It has been investigated as a potential reservoir of the Ebola virus, with several testing positive for antibodies against the virus. While figs are their favored food, they also eat bananas, mangoes, and guavas. The bat is categorized as "least concern." [8][9], The hammer-headed bat is the largest bat in mainland Africa. They can grow to nearly eleven feet and 300 pounds! There, they produce loud, honking vocalizations to attract females. 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. The bat has a life expectancy of thirty years in the wild. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. The hammer-headed bat is a real animal, and its scientific name (Hypsignathus monstrosus) references its monstrous appearance. . ThoughtCo. There is a sole report of a bat eating a chicken, but no carnivorous activity has been substantiated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat. Photographs exhibiting the forced perspective optical illusion have caused confusion about the relative sizes of frogs, rats, snakes, and half-eaten sharks. 2. 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.". [3] However, in 1997, Epomophorini was recognized as part of the subfamily Epomophorinae. He doubled down on their street cred by redesigning the Leeds family crest to include monsters that looked suspiciously like the future Jersey Devil. [12], However, some populations of hammer-headed bats in West Africa do not use leks. They eat fruit mostly figs. For now, conservationists simply continue to monitor one of Africas most iconic bat species. The Jersey Devil Hammerhead Bat Theory - Week In Weird The hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), widely distributed in equatorial Africa, is one of three species of African fruit bat thought to be asymptomatically infected with the Ebola. The bat has a longer intestine than that of an insectivorous species, allowing it to absorb more protein from its food. In this mating ritual, large groups or leks of bats, from 20 to well over 120, gather to attract females. If you read on the Wikipedia page about the Jersey Devil, it seems that this creature is only a local legend in New Jersey. 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. [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. They eat fruit mostly figs. Fun Fact: Sandbar sharks are the most commonly seen toothed shark in New Jerseys coastal bays. [12], Males and females rely on different strategies for foraging. Hammerhead bats are native to Central Africa, and . Unlike many other bat species that segregate based on sex, males and females will roost together during the day. In 1718, Leeds retired and his son, the amazingly named Titan Leeds, took over both the family affairs and their penchant for feuding. Liz Taylor. Male hammer-headed bats can have a wingspan of greater than three feet. Of course, historical sources make no mention of a screeching demon child flying around, except when recounting the legend. These estuary habitats clean the water and act as a first-line defense against the force of incoming waves for coastal communities. Then, take a look at the giant golden-crowned flying fox, the largest bat in the world. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. (Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. Groups are of mixed sex and age, unlike other bat species which segregate based on sex. In some populations, breeding is thought to take place semi-annually during the dry seasons. 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. It forages at night, sleeping during the day in tree roosts. Many previously unexplored topics will be covered concerning the Jersey Devil: Interviews with the locals, Hammerhead bat theory, Dinosaur theory, Jersey Devil spotted in Oklahoma?, The Legend Mother Leeds, The Speculative Diet of the Jersey Devil, Footprints of the Jersey Devil, Leeds VS Shrouds Family, The . Habitat:These sharks commonly reside on continental shelves, and in bays and other inshore waters. Megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa, "Evolutionary relationships of the old world fruit bats (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae): Another star phylogeny? Females appear more like a typical megabat, with foxlike faces. The Jersey Devil Newspaper accounts of the Jersey devil started circulating in the early years of the 20 th century, although it may have been an established folktale before then. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, A photograph showing an odd-looking, large bat with an elongated face known as a "hammerhead bat. Smooth dogfish nurseries have been documented in New Jerseys estuaries and shallow tidal waters, particularly Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor. As Benjamin Radford of Live Science tells us, tales of this legendary cryptid have been reported since the 18th century, and its origin story is the stuff of horror movies: supposedly, on the requisite dark and stormy night, a lady (and possible witch) known as Mother Leeds was giving birth to her thirteenth child. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. 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. 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. 2015. 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. People Are Losing Their Sh*t Over How Cute Hammerhead Bats Are That said, the hammer-headed bat is a threat in another, perhaps more surprising way. The Jersey Devil Might Actually Have Existed. Here's Why In fact, they dont usually gather in large family groups at all. 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. She will release "In Living Color: A Cultural History" on Rowman & Littlefield Press in April 2022, and "The Golden Girls: A Cultural History" on Rowman & Littlefield Press in October 2022. Charitable Solicitation Disclosures There also have been quite a few zoos, circuses and what not associated with the area. The gestation period lasts around 5 or 6 months. Females appear more like a typical megabat, with foxlike faces. Females fly through the group to evaluate potential mates. Juveniles, called pups, receive no maternal care after their live birth, so will quickly take protective cover among the marsh grasses. It has low fidelity to its roost and will move to a new roost after 59 days. Description:Small, slender sharks with gray or tan upper bodies and white bellies. Hammer-Headed Bat Facts (Big-Lipped Bat) - ThoughtCo After that, they will spend their lives at sea. Instead, at sunset, they groom themselves then set off independently to forage. And, because they keep the food chain balanced, sharks also indirectly sustain marine environments like seagrass beds and reefs. Get global conservation stories, news and local opportunities near you. The tongue of the Hammer-headed bat is large and powerful, with an expanded, tridentate tip. They are active during the night, probably in order to avoid overheating. 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. 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. Males, however, grow much larger and have faces that clearly set them apart. 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. Meet The Hammer-Headed Bat, The African Megabat Thats Been Dubbed One Of The Worlds Ugliest Creatures. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Some will come back in their second year.". The Jersey Devil Might Actually Have Existed. [7] Some taxonomists do not recognize Epomophorinae as a valid subfamily and include its taxa, including the Epomophorini, within Rousettinae. Habitat: Sandbar sharks prefer bays, harbors and even the mouths of rivers where, true to their name, they frequent shallow waters over sandbars. Three shark species reproduce in New Jersey's back bays and coastal marshes. Males gather in a particular region, known as a lek and there they establish "display territories". We may have detected a typo. The male then lets out a staccato buzz sound, mates with the female, and hangs on the branch again, honking for the next female. Some smooth dogfish will live their entire lives in the . Fun Fact: Sand tiger sharks burp! The Sandhill Crane is a herbivore, but since the Jersey Devil has been accused of stealing and attacking livestock and chickens he is thought of as a carnivore. While might catch glimpses of Travel Channel is kicking off Halloween season on October 4th with a very special live event that brings together more of the networks top paranormal stars than you can For most of us, ignoring the strange people on the subway is second nature, but if you ever find yourself in the tunnels below New York City and you Tweets by @WeirdHQ It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. The. 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. 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. Animal Diversity Web. Various trees are used for roosting, with no preference for a particular species. Females use trap-lining, in which they travel an established route with dependable and predictable food sources, even if the food is lower quality. |. [18] Members of the same group show little interaction with each other: they do not "squabble", vocalize, or groom each other. [10] Each male claims a display territory of about 10m (33ft) in diameter,[11] in which he honks repeatedly and flaps his wings while hanging from a branch. It has been reported to move quickly and is often described as emitting a high-pitched "blood-curdling scream"." The comparison between the two animals is not to far off since throughout time many residents of New Jersey have kept exotic animals as pets. Cool bat. Description: Very large sharks with gray, torpedo shaped bodies and white bellies, a pointy snout and sizeable mouths filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Mobile Terms & Conditions The Jersey Devil plagues many of those trying to make sense of cryptozoology, especially because of its highly unusual description. AsCape Bay Magazineexplains, it may have its roots in a simple historical feud. The Jersey Devil: Hammerhead Bat Theory (Axis Video) Abandoned, Roadside and Historic Urbex 2.16K subscribers Subscribe 35K views 8 years ago One of the many possible explanations that may. With no solid proof to support the story, we can probably assume that it has been at least somewhat embellished over time. 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. "They give live birth to pups in the bay, which is a calmer habitat rich with food. 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. Bat Magazine. The Legend of The New Jersey Devil | Talon Post Open In contrast, males become reproductively mature when they are eighteen months old. Ugly. Females will fly through the lek, selecting a male by landing on a branch next to him. The polygynous males do not stick around to help raise their young. [12] Leks consist of 20135 males in an area about 40m (130ft) wide and 4001,600m (1,3005,200ft) long. "Hypsignathus Monstrosus: Hammer-Headed Fruit Bat." April 29, 2020. We may have detected a typo. It prefers. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? [10] It has pronounced sexual dimorphism, more so than any other bat species in the world,[10] with males up to twice as heavy as females. The hammerhead bat is a mammal and its habitat is in equatorial Africa. The Jersey Devil: Hammerhead Bat Theory (Axis Video) - YouTube [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. The Hammer-headed bat is the largest bat in mainland Africa. Hammer-headed bats occur across equatorial Africa at elevations below 1800 m (5900 ft). They thrive in the moist, tropical forests surrounding Equatorial Africas lowlands, swamps, and rivers. Hammer-headed Bat | Wild View - Wildlife Conservation Society 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. But farmers arent the only people who hunt down these distinctive creatures. The little-collared fruit bat (Myonycteris torquata) and the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) are the other two species. The fur is long and smooth, though somewhat woolly in texture on the mantle. 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 juveniles spend about a year feeding and growing here, and then head out to the ocean. 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. During the mating season male Hammer-headed bats have to try hard in order to attract females; they typically display for around 4 hours and produce 60-120 honks per minute. Males and females both have dark brown fur, with a paler mantle (sides and back of neck). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat. But while it may look like a carnivore, it only eats fruit. Earlier this month, a Cleveland bat boy went viral for rocking long hair while working for the clean-shaven Yankees. Ender, do you know what species of bat that one is? This creature seems to be by all means associated with the Agenda group. This hammer-headed bat looks unnaturally large because it is closer to the camera than its handler. Per Se/FlickrMale hammer-headed bats can have a wingspan of greater than three feet. The conservation status of the hammer-headed bat was last evaluated in 2016. The Hammerhead Bat 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. Did you mean to type Hammer-headed bats are polygynous meaning that males mate with more than one female. 1 Top Replies 10 Created 8 yr Smooth dogfish nurseries have been documented in New Jersey's estuaries and shallow tidal waters, particularly Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. The tongue is large and powerful, with an expanded, tridentate tip. The Nature Conservancy is using innovative natural solutionsto help salt marshes persist. In contrast, males are not sexually mature until eighteen months. Adults are commonly affected by parasites such as flies and mites. 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. 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. If you look at pictures for the hammerhead bat that is native to Africa, you will see that its face does resemble traditional depictions of the Jersey Devil. 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. Leeds eventually converted to the Anglican Church, and the Quakers reacted to this affront by labeling him evil and releasing an official anti-Leeds tract calledSatan's Harbinger Encountered. [12] It displays a mix of solitary and social behavior. If that first hammerhead bat is big enough and the behavior matches, then you may have solved the case. Its predators are not well-known, but may include hawks. For buoyancy while hunting, they gulp air at the waters surface to inflate their stomach. Here's why! 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. Males display for around four hours before foraging, with peaks in lekking activity in the early evening and before dawn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hammerhead-bat/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil. bat possibly mistaken for the Jersey Devil, By The hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), also known as hammer-headed fruit bat and big-lipped bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa. According to Animalia, people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria kill hammer-headed bats in order to consume them as bushmeat. [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. [10] Thus, females have 36 chromosomes (34 autosomes and two sex chromosomes), and males have 35 chromosomes (34 autosomes but only one sex chromosome). 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. The hammerhead bat is a mammal and its habitat is in equatorial Africa. As noted by Bats Magazine, the hammer-headed bat can possess a wingspan of nearly 40 inches, but it's average body length is only about 10 inches: H. monstrosus is the largest bat found in Africa, with males being significantly larger than females. [12], This species is often cited as an example of classical lek mating,[18] and is perhaps the only bat species with such. DeAgostini/Getty ImagesThe hammer-headed bat is also known as the big-lipped bat. Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. Coastal conservation projects in help New Jersey salt marshes stand up to a rising sea. 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. [24], The hammer-headed bat has been investigated as a potential reservoir of the Ebola virus. Because of their all-fruit diet, theyre considered a pest by many African farmers, who eliminate them when necessary to save their crops. Summaries. The drawing I have made here on this page, was made in 2013 when I had the sighting of the Big Bat. The picture was published in 1909 in the Philadelphia Bulletin. The Hammer-headed bat is a large fruit bat found in Africa. Although the animal is hunted as bush meat, it occupies a large geographic range and the overall population has not experienced a rapid decline. In the 80s, New Jersey named their hockey team the Jersey Devils based off the legend. Fun Fact: Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish in the world, reaching up to 21 feet long and 4,300 pounds! Youve already signed up with this email address. Males, in contrast, search for areas rich with food, traveling up to 10km (6.2mi) to reach particularly good food patches. [22] Its ability to produce extremely loud vocalizations means that some consider it one of Africa's most significant nocturnal pests. This breed of bat (Hammerhead) might have been mistaken as the Jersey Devil. Although colonies up to 25 bats have been observed, the average hammer-headed fruit bat roost is fewer than five bats. They can fly. Also the Crane stands about 40-48 inches (3-4 feet) tall and the Jersey Devil is about 72-96 inches (6-8 feet). Diamondback terrapins live in brackish. It's a flying moose, or a bat", "Hunting for Ebola among the bats of the Congo", Audio recording of a few males honking in the early evening at their lek, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hammer-headed_bat&oldid=1136306370, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Males gather in a particular region, known as a lek; here, they establish "display territories", Display territories offer no beneficial resources to females beyond access to males, Males do not assist females in caring for offspring, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 18:42. Each male claims a display territory of about 10 m (33 ft) in diameter, in which he honks repeatedly and flaps his wings while hanging from a branch. Being active at night helps keep the animals from overheating. Did you mean to type Scientists have been tracking shark movements using technology for years. The genera Ussonycteris Andersen, 1912, Myonycteris Matschie, 1899 and Megaloglossus Pagenstecher, 1885; general remarks and conclusions; annex: key to all species", "Karyology and Chromosomal Evolution of Some Small Mammals Inhabiting the Rainforest of the Rabi Oil Field, Gabon", "Hypsignathus monstrosus (Hammer-headed fruit bat)", "Lek-associated movement of a putative Ebolavirus reservoir, the hammer-headed fruit bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), in northern Republic of Congo", "Transmission of Ebola Virus Disease: An Overview", "Assessing the Evidence Supporting Fruit Bats as the Primary Reservoirs for Ebola Viruses", "A new species in the ZOO Wrocaw.
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