Awesome Animal Fact - Tequila Bats

Did you know that, without bats, there would be no tequila? The lesser long-nosed bat feeds on cactus nectar. These bats fly up to 700 miles (1,126 km) per year as they follow the blooming of cactuses northward from Mexico to the US. At night, the bats fly up to cactus flowers and stick their long tongues in to lap up the yummy nectar. In the process, the bats get pollen stuck to their faces, and then they unwittingly transfer some of that pollen to other flowers. These bats feed on up to a hundred cactus flowers per night.

One of the long-nosed bat's favorite flowers is that of agave, which is used to make tequila. In fact, bats are the primary pollinators of agave. Without bats, agave wouldn't exist. Without agave, tequila wouldn't exist. And wouldn't that be a sorry state of affairs.

Below are long-nosed bats at a feeder.

Photo Credits:
- Long-nosed bats at feeder - DepositPhotos