Maternity colony (bats) Maternity colony (bats) A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups. The colonies are initiated by pregnant bats. After giving birth, the colony consists of the lactating females and their offspring. After weaning, juveniles will leave the maternity colony, and the colony itself will break apart. The size of a maternity colony is highly variable by species, with some species forming colonies consisting of ten or fewer individuals, while the largest maternity colony in the world in Bracken Cave is estimated to have over 15 million bats.
Human uses of bats the wings offered protection to their warriors. Bats are associated with negative uses or beings in many cultures. In Nigeria, for example, bats are thought of as witches; in Ivory Coast, they are believed to be ghosts or spirits. In the Bible's Book of Leviticus, bats are referred to as "birds you are to regard as unclean," and therefore should not be consumed. Human uses of bats Human uses of bats include economic uses such as bushmeat or in traditional medicine. Live bats are sold in Bolivia for purported medicinal uses. Specifically, consuming the bats' blood is believed to treat