Rain Forest Allies 2. In fact, bats are the most abundant and diverse of tropical rain forest mammals worldwide. A variety of other bats have learned to cut the midribs of large leaves to form tents that protect them from tropical rains and predators. Such colonies can have enormous ecological and even economic impact. Since many of these insects are capable of laying thousands of eggs each, bats are vitally important in maintaining the balance of nature.
Some bats use their large ears to hear even the faintest footsteps of a walking katydid.
The bats identify each species by its unique voice, avoiding frogs that are poisonous or too large to eat. They emit high-frequency calls that bounce off objects in their paths. The echoes allow bats to form visual images of their surroundings, and in this case to detect the tiny tip of a minnow's fin at a pond's surface. Other bats use large eyes and sensitive noses to detect a wide variety of tropical fruits and flowers that produce unique odors and visual cues designed specifically to attract bats. Flowers that rely on bats are typically light colored, making them more visible at night.