An activity learning why bats carry many diseases and don’t get sick
★ Watch this Video about Bats. Answer the following questions
based on what you know about ecology and on what you saw in the video.
You may have to watch more than once. Type your answer in the yellow box.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------1) A niche is the job that an organism has in its environment.
For example, a tiger’s niche is as a top predator.
What niche or niches do bats fulfil in the environment?
2) A population is a group of organisms that live together.
For example, zebra populations live in large herds within their ecosystem.
Based on the video, how are bat populations organized?
A habitat is the area within an ecosystem where a population
makes its home.
3)
For example, a clown fish lives in an anemone.
What is the bats’ habitat?
4) Interactions are the relationships between two or more
organisms.
Parent emperor penguins shelter chicks beneath feet and under fur to keep them warm.
Name one or more interactions are occuring within the ecosystems of bats?
5) When humans interact with some animal populations, unexpected results can
happen.
For example, when humans need more space to build homes and cities ,they cut down
trees which destroys habitats for some bees.
● This affects the bees because they don’t have a place to live and reproduce and their
population decreases.
● This affects the humans because without bees as pollinators, crops and other plants
that humans need for food and medicine are impacted
How are the interactions between human populations and bat populations affecting each?
Humans:
Bats:
6) Adaptations occur in a species that help it to be better suited
for its environment.
For example, Bats have an unusual adaptation for a mammal that allows them to fly.
What other adaptations did bats need in order to stay healthy when they fly?
How does this adaptation help bats to be less vulnerable to illness from viruses?
7)
Viruses adapt also… like when they jump the animal human
barrier...
Swine flu was a virus that originated with pigs and became a virus that caused a human illness
What adaptations do viruses have that allow them to survive the immune system responses of the bats?
REFLECTION:
How might scientists use the understanding of bat’s immune system adaptations and/or interactions with
other species to help protect animals (like pigs, pangolins, AND humans) from viral outbreaks in the
future? Make a claim and add supporting ideas. At least 3-5 sentences.