Bats of the United States and Canada

Bats as Food

50 bats of the united states and canada Bats as Food In some locations, especially parts of Asia and Africa and islands in the Pacific, many species, particularly the large fruit bats, are used as food by humans. For example, on the island of Guam, many native people consider Mariana fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus) to be a delicacy . Prior to government regulations to protect the bats from overharvesting , people sometimes paid exorbitant prices for a fruit bat dinner. The New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook (1972), contains a recipe for “fruit bat soup.” It calls for boiling three large whole fruit bats in water with ginger, onion, and salt. The bats are then skinned, meat is removed from the bones, and skin and bones are discarded. The meat, broth, and any desired viscera are then sprinkled with scallions and seasoned with soy sauce, coconut cream, or both. Enjoy! Although the relatively small bats in the United States and Canada generally are not used as food, smaller bats are consumed in other parts of the world. Conservationists are concerned that many species of bats may become extinct due to overharvest and inadequate management . This is true, not only for the larger “meatier” species but also for many smaller bats. Large fruit-eating bats are hunted for food in many parts of the world. Smaller bats also are eaten by some indigenous peoples. The very large fruiteating bats (Megachiroptera) do not occur in the Americas, but smaller fruiteating species occur widely in Central and South America. Roger W. Barbour ...