ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Bats have reportedly been enjoying the wide variety and abundance of food that Tel Aviv has to offer, according to a new study by Tel Aviv University.

Published in BMC Biology, the study explains that while most animals leave the city during urbanization, there are animals that thrive in that setting - such as the fruit bat. These bats live in a multitude of environments, some even foraging in the city and roosting in the country. 

While the bats face many challenges living in the city, like buildings and humans, they have more diversity than in the country. The nature of their movement when they forage is different as well.

The study compared the natures of rural versus city bats as they foraged using tiny GPS devices to track them. They found that city bats were more exploratory and enjoy the abundance of the urban environment. They can visit and feed from a variety of fruit trees. However, the rural bats only focused on one or two fruit trees per night.

Furthermore, the study shows bats that live their entire lives in rural environments will be able to orient themselves in an urban one. Fruit bats are an example of a flexible species - they are able to adapt to new and unfamiliar environments quickly. 

Prof. Galit Yovel, head of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol School of Neuroscience, said in a press release, “How animals cope with urbanization is one of the most central and important questions in ecological research today. Understanding the ways in which animals adapt to urban areas can help us in our conservation efforts.”