The exception is the Pemba Flying Fox, a fruit bat found only on Pemba island in Tanzania that has recently been the subject of a major conservation programme. Generally, most people are unaware of the positive roles played by bats, and few if any conservation efforts have focussed specifically on bats in East Africa. On the other hand, in some parts of East Africa, bats are eaten and regarded as a delicacy. Some fruit bats may damage fruits grown for market or home consumption or become a nuisance because they roost in such large numbers that they break branches of plants. Occasionally, bats may come into conflict with humans, for example, if large numbers of insect bats roost in a place regarded as inconvenient for humans, such as between the roof and ceiling board of a home or office. In contrast, fruit bats not only help to disperse seeds, but are also involved in the pollination of some trees. Other 'insect' bats feed on larger invertebrates, such as scorpions, and some may even feed on small vertebrates such as birds, other bats, and other vertebrates. Some insect bats seem to hunt mainly moths and beetles and thus benefit farmers. The insectivorous species consume vast amounts of insects each night as they feed. There are two basic groups of bats, the insect-eating or 'insect' bats and the fruiteating bats or 'fruit' bats that feed on fruit and/or nectar.

Despite their often overlooked presence, bats play an important role in the ecology of East Africa. Bats usually hide during the day, either in trees or in caves and other crevices, where they hang upside down by their toes or cling to the surface of their hiding place.

The bats which feed on fruit and nectar usually have large eyes and may move considerable distances in search of their desired foods. The insectivorous species have tiny eyes and capture their prey as well as find their way in total darkness through a system of echolocation. Bats communicate by vocalising, though sometimes at frequencies above the range of human hearing. Female bats provide milk for their young. Their bodies are irisuiated with a coat of hair, they have teeth, are usually active at night and sometimes under conditions of total darkness, such as in caves. Bats are among the least known and understood of mammals.

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