Hammerhead fruit bat: these animals have turned their face into a megaphone for insane screams

Differences in appearance between females and males of the same species is called sexual dimorphism, and in hammerhead fruit bats it is very pronounced. The entire body of males is built in such a way as to turn them into small winged mouthpieces. Their larynx and air sacs are 3 times larger than those of females. The vocal apparatus is so massive that all other organs are constantly in a compressed format.

This modification was not enough for the male fruit bats, so they also decided to reshape their heads. Yes, yes, this blunder, in place of which a muzzle is located in ordinary animals, was modified by the hammerhead fruit bat into a megaphone. Inside the large square nose there is a wide sinus, which acts as an additional sound amplifier.

But the fruit bats, apparently, decided not to bother with the rest of the body. They have no tail at all, and the structure of the wings cannot ensure long flight - the animals are too heavy. Despite the fact that the wingspan of bats is quite large - 90 cm! But the fruit bat eats quite a lot: the weight of an adult male reaches almost half a kilo, while females weigh half as much!

But fruit bats really need to fly. Their diet consists exclusively of fruits. There are quite a few fruit trees in Central Africa, but the males are very selective in food. For the sake of juicy deliciousness, they are ready to go into uncharted territories and fly up to 10 km per night! Females prefer to use already explored routes, even if this means not the most delicious dinner.

Males use all their resources, built up over the years of evolution, during the dry season. Hammerhead Don Juans, up to 100 in number, gather on tree branches and begin to scream heart-rendingly. The females, like true deathcore fans, rush to those trees where the scream will be louder. According to the classics, the most successful males are the most vocal ones; there are only 6% of them in the team. And they become the fathers of the majority of newborn mice - 79%, to be more precise.

The meeting of the “lovers” lasts a measly 30-60 seconds, after which the couple separates forever. The male calls for a new lady, and the female flies off into the sunset and begins to prepare for the appearance of offspring. After six months, the mother gives birth to 1-2 cubs.