I'm Batman - Amy Wray
-
0:10 - 0:14Flying through the night,
I watch over this world, -
0:14 - 0:23a silent guardian, a watchful protector,
a dark knight, I'm... -
0:23 - 0:26Okay, fine. So, I'm not Batman.
I'm just a bat. -
0:26 - 0:29But like Batman, I'm often misunderstood.
-
0:29 - 0:32People think I'm scary,
strange and dangerous. -
0:32 - 0:37If they only knew my story, though,
I'd be cheered as a hero. -
0:37 - 0:38When people think of bats,
-
0:38 - 0:42many think of vampires
who want to suck their blood. -
0:42 - 0:44But the truth is
that out of over 1200 bat species, -
0:44 - 0:48only three are vampire bats.
-
0:48 - 0:51Out of these three,
only one prefers the blood of mammals, -
0:51 - 0:54and even these bats mostly feed on cattle.
-
0:54 - 0:56Maybe that still doesn't seem so great,
-
0:56 - 1:01but vampire bats
can be a great help to humans. -
1:01 - 1:05A chemical known as desmoteplase
found in vampire bat saliva -
1:05 - 1:07helps break down blood clots,
-
1:07 - 1:11and is being tested
by recovering stroke victims. -
1:11 - 1:16Of the remaining 1000+ species of bats,
about 70% feed on insects. -
1:16 - 1:19These bats help control
the real vampires: -
1:19 - 1:22mosquitos, whose nasty bites
are not just annoying -
1:22 - 1:26but spread diseases, like West Nile virus.
-
1:26 - 1:30A single little brown bat
can eat 1000 insects every hour, -
1:30 - 1:35and a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats
can eat several tons of moths -
1:35 - 1:36in just one night.
-
1:36 - 1:38In the United States alone,
-
1:38 - 1:42bats provide an estimated
3.7 billion dollars worth -
1:42 - 1:44of free pest control for farmers,
-
1:44 - 1:48which benefits everyone
who eats the foods that they grow. -
1:48 - 1:51Fruit bats, also called megabats
because of their large size, -
1:51 - 1:55are important for the role
they play in plant pollination. -
1:55 - 1:58By traveling between flowers
while feeding on nectar and fruits, -
1:58 - 2:03these bats transport the pollen
and seeds that help plants reproduce. -
2:03 - 2:04In Southeast Asia, for example,
-
2:04 - 2:09the cave nectar bat is the only pollinator
of the durian fruit. -
2:09 - 2:12Other bats pollinate peaches, bananas,
-
2:12 - 2:15and the agave plants
that tequila is made from. -
2:15 - 2:16Without them,
-
2:16 - 2:20many of our food plants would be unable
to produce the tasty fruits we enjoy. -
2:20 - 2:26As heroes of the ecosystem,
bats have their own unique utility belts. -
2:26 - 2:29Bats have been a source of inspiration
for the design of flying robots -
2:29 - 2:32and even an energy-efficient spy plane,
-
2:32 - 2:39as they are the only mammal
capable of true powered flight. -
2:39 - 2:45Echolocation, a type of biological sonar,
is also used by bats as a way to navigate -
2:45 - 2:47and find prey in the dark.
-
2:47 - 2:50Although there's a common
misconception that bats are blind, -
2:50 - 2:53in truth, all species of bats have sight.
-
2:53 - 2:57And some have even adapted
large eyes to see better in dim lighting. -
2:57 - 3:00Many people worry
about getting infected by bats, -
3:00 - 3:04and like any other animals,
bats can carry diseases, like rabies. -
3:04 - 3:10In reality, though, less than .5% of all bats
carry this virus. -
3:10 - 3:13That's about the same odds as getting
the same result on a coin flip -
3:13 - 3:19eight times in a row.
-
3:19 - 3:21The perception that bats
are often diseased -
3:21 - 3:23may come from the fact that sick bats,
-
3:23 - 3:27who may show unusual behavior,
emerge during the daytime, -
3:27 - 3:29or be unable to fly,
-
3:29 - 3:31are more likely to be
encountered by people. -
3:31 - 3:35So a good way to protect yourself
is to protect bats as well, -
3:35 - 3:37keeping them healthy,
protecting their habitats, -
3:37 - 3:41and reducing their risk
of transmitting disease. -
3:41 - 3:44In North America, bats are threatened
by a devastating sickness -
3:44 - 3:47called white-nose syndrome.
-
3:47 - 3:49This fungal infection
causes bats to wake up -
3:49 - 3:51while hibernating during a winter.
-
3:51 - 3:55Unable to find food,
they expend large amounts of energy, -
3:55 - 3:57and eventually starve to death.
-
3:57 - 4:00White-nose syndrome has wiped out
entire caves full of bats, -
4:00 - 4:04with a mortality rate that can exceed 90%.
-
4:04 - 4:06Climate change and habitat destruction
-
4:06 - 4:09also pose serious threats
to bat populations. -
4:09 - 4:14For example, in January 2014,
a record heat wave in Australia -
4:14 - 4:18caused over 100,000 bats
to die from heat exhaustion. -
4:18 - 4:21Some people just want
to watch the world burn, -
4:21 - 4:25and bats all over the world are threatened
by damage to the places that we call home, -
4:25 - 4:27including mangrove swamps,
-
4:27 - 4:28old-growth forests,
-
4:28 - 4:31and, of course, bat caves.
-
4:31 - 4:36So even though I'm the hero of the story,
I do need to be saved. -
4:36 - 4:38And now that you know
the true story about us bats, -
4:38 - 4:41you can learn how to protect
such heroic animals. -
4:41 - 4:44Install a properly designed bat box,
-
4:44 - 4:47one of the easiest ways
to provide shelter for bats. -
4:47 - 4:50Discourage the use of pesticides,
which can harm bats -
4:50 - 4:54when we try to feed on the insects
you want to get rid of in the first place. -
4:54 - 4:58Avoid going into caves
where you might disturb hibernating bats, -
4:58 - 5:02and always decontaminate
your gear after visiting a cave. -
5:02 - 5:05If you have unwanted bats
living in an attic or barn, -
5:05 - 5:09contact your local government
to safely and humanely relocate us. -
5:09 - 5:13And if you come across a bat,
do not attempt to handle it, -
5:13 - 5:17but instead, call Animal Control.
-
5:17 - 5:20Batman might want to keep
his identity secret, -
5:20 - 5:24but a great way to help real bats
is by continuing to learn about them -
5:24 - 5:27and spreading the truth
that they are real heroes, -
5:27 - 5:31even if their good deeds are often unseen.
- Title:
- I'm Batman - Amy Wray
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/i-m-batman-amy-wray
What flies through the night, silently guarding and protecting our world from evil? Batman? Try...a bat. Like Batman, bats are widely misunderstood and vilified. Amy Wray disproves the myth that bats are dangerous villains and explains why they, instead, deserve a hero's welcome -- and our protection.
Lesson by Amy Wray, animation by TED-Ed.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:48
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for I'm Batman - Amy Wray |