Fruit Bat Forest Language Activity
Explorer Trail
Teachers’ Information
KS 1
Introduction
Indoor language activity in the Fruit Bat Forest exhibit.
The exhibit houses three bat species, together with a number of other
species. The exhibit is immersive and is set at low light levels.
This activity encourages pupils to consider what the bats and their habitat look
like by using a wide range of language to describe their experience in Fruit
Bat Forest. It also encourages pupils to think about where bats live, why they
are active at night and how they move.
Curriculum Links:
KS1 English: EN1 Speaking and Listening, EN3 Writing
Resources required in the Zoo:
Teachers may require a pen and paper to write down the describing words for
future use back in the classroom. This could also be recorded in an audio
format.
Bat poem – this can be used as an introduction to bats. It contains many
words to describe bats and can act as a starting point for the class in the
exhibit.
Location in the Zoo:
Fruit Bat Forest – Bat exhibit
There is always a member of Chester Zoo staff present. Any questions or
queries that teachers or pupils may have can be addressed by this member of
staff.
To make the most of your experience in Fruit Bat Forest move slowly and
quietly, so that your eyes become accustomed to the lower light levels. Pupils
may be nervous or anxious about the bats, as there are many myths
surrounding bats. Remember to take your time in the first part of the exhibit to
look at the other species. A good place to gather before entering the freeflight area is by the windows on the left hand side in the entrance cave. Here
you can look through the windows to see some of the bats and let your eyes
become accustomed to the dark. While standing in this area pupils can
discuss what it is like in Fruit Bat Forest and compare that to some of the
expectations that were recorded in the classroom.
Go into the main exhibit area. Have a good look around and get pupils to look
at the bats and the surrounding environment they are in. Carry on through
Fruit Bat Forest to the other side of the tunnel. Here there is a suitable place
to gather and carry out the activity, also by this time pupils eyes will have
adjusted to the low light levels.
Fruit Bat Forest Language Activity
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Explorer Trail
Teachers’ Information
KS 1
When the pupils are gathered read the poem again. See if they agree with
the poem. Highlight the words in the poem used to describe the bats. Try and
get the pupils to think of more describing words for the bats and for their home
too.
It may help to ask pupils questions about what it is like in the exhibit.
When visiting Fruit Bat Forest please do not
use:
Flash photography
Torches
Mobile phone lights
Please keep food and drink inside a bag.
Things to do in school beforehand:
Download the bat poem, read the poem and highlight the words used to
describe the bats.
Discuss with the pupils what they think a bat exhibit at the Zoo may look and
feel like.
Things to do in school afterwards:
Compare pupils’ expectations of Fruit Bat Forest before the visit with what the
exhibit was actually like during the visit.
The describing words that pupils thought of while in Fruit Bat Forest could be
used to create a poem or a story about their experience.
Background Bat Information
General Information about Bats:
Facts about bats and common myths
- Bats do NOT get tangled in people’s hair, nor do they fly into people
- Bats have incredibly good eyesight and are NOT blind
- All bats use vision to navigate, but some bats use vision and
echolocation to navigate. Our Seba’s Bats (the smallest bats) in Fruit
Bat Forest fall into this category thus are fantastic flyers.
Bats in Britain are all insect-eating bats and there are 16 different species
found in this country.
Across the world there are over 1100 species of bats, living in many different
environments. Bats are found in habitats all over the world and are found on
every continent except the Arctic and the Antarctic.
Fruit Bat Forest Language Activity
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Explorer Trail
Teachers’ Information
KS 1
Bats play an incredibly important role in the ecosystem and are essential
pollinators for many tropical flowers. They are also important in seed
dispersal.
Echolocation
All bats use vision to navigate but some bat species use echolocation in
addition to vision. This is a type of sonar that some bat species use to detect
prey and find their way around. Using this echolocation they can distinguish
between different insects, size and direction of movement. They emit high
frequency sounds, which give them information on their surroundings as the
echo bounces back. By using echolocation bats can avoid wires as fine as
human hair.
Bats in Fruit Bat Forest:
There are three species of bats in the exhibit, all are fruit bats. Fruit bats are
found in tropical climates.
Livingstone’s Fruit Bat
How to spot them in Fruit Bat Forest
These are the largest bats in the exhibit and currently we house four
Livingstone’s Fruit Bats. These bats are usually found high up in the building
and will quite often be found crawling along the high ropes from one end of
the building to the other.
A bit about Livingstone’s Fruit Bats
These bats are amongst the largest bats found in the world, but are also one
of the most endangered bats in the world. They have dark brown or black fur
over most of their bodies. However, around their neck and shoulders there is
a ginger/orange patch of fur. They have large red eyes and have excellent,
well-developed eyesight. Livingstone’s Fruit Bats do not use echolocation.
Distribution: Found on the Comoros Islands in the wild. These are situated in
between Madagascar and Africa. Here the bats live in the forests where they
will roost in the tree tops in large noisy colonies. They are mainly nocturnal,
but unlike most bats they can be active during the late afternoon. This is
when they fly from their roosting sites to their feeding sites, where forest trees
are fruiting. Livingstone’s Fruit Bats locate fruit with their well-developed vision
and sense of smell and feed throughout the night, occasionally resting.
Size: 700g
Wingspan: 4.6 feet (1.4 m), they are one of the world’s largest fruit bats
Gestation: 4-5 months, they give birth to 1 young which is dependent for 3-6
months.
Lifespan: 25-30 years
Status: Critically Endangered
Fruit Bat Forest Language Activity
Explorer Trail
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Teachers’ Information
KS 1
Rodrigues Fruit Bats
How to spot them in Fruit Bat Forest
These bats are also large bats but are slightly smaller than the Livingstone’s
Fruit Bats. They are usually found high up in the building and will readily fly
around high in the air.
A little bit about Rodrigues Fruit Bats
These bats are medium-sized bats and come in a variety of colours. The
lower parts of their body are black or brown but their upper parts can be
yellow, orange, silver or red with black parts.
Distribution: Found on Rodrigues Island in the wild. Rodrigues Island is found
near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Here they live in the forests and
mangroves on the island.
Size: 300 g
Wingspan: 2.5-3ft (76-91 cm)
Gestation: 4-5 months
Lifespan: 25-30 years
Status: Critically Endangered
Seba’s Fruit Bats
How to spot them in Fruit Bat Forest
These are the smallest bats in the exhibit and fly at all levels. These bats can
be seen whizzing past quickly.
A little bit about Seba’s Fruit Bats
Seba’s Fruit Bats are a small species of bat that are very quick and very
active. These bats use vision and echolocation to navigate. Their favourite
fruit in the wild comes from the black pepper family and the fig family. At
sunset they go in search of food, plucking it from plants and taking it to a safe
place to eat. After about 15 minutes of feeding they will take a nap while
digesting their food before going in search of more fruit. This goes on all
night! It is thought that in one night one Seba’s Fruit Bat may possibly
consume as many as 60000 seeds with all the fruit it eats!
Distribution: Seba’s Fruit Bats are quite common in the wild. Found in Central
and South America. They live in colonies of a few dozen to several hundred
individuals in caves or hollow trees.
Size: 14-25 g
Wingspan: 20 cm
Gestation: around 4 months
Lifespan: 6 -7 years
Status: Lower risk/least concern
Fruit Bat Forest Language Activity
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Explorer Trail
Teachers’ Information
KS 1
Other Species in Fruit Bat Forest:
There are a number of other animal species in the exhibit.
In the entrance cave there are three animal exhibits, housing: Turkish Spiny
Mice, African Dormice and Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches.
In the main exhibit, in the tunnel area, there are Mexican Blind Cave Fish.
Fruit Bat Forest Language Activity
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Explorer Trail
Teachers’ Information
KS 1
Bat Poem
Introduction
This poem can be downloaded and read in the classroom before a visit to the
Zoo. Pupils and teachers can discuss the describing words in the poem and
even guess what animal the pupils will see in Fruit Bat Forest when they visit
the Zoo. Once pupils have decided which animal the poem is about they can
discuss what expectations they have of the exhibit, for example what it will
look like and what it will feel like in this exhibit at the Zoo.
The poem can be used again in Fruit Bat Forest during the school trip to
encourage pupils to think of additional words to describe the bats and their
habitat.
Who are We?
Our bodies are hairy,
But we are not scary,
We have wings of leather,
But we have no feathers,
We have babies born,
But no eggs to keep warm,
We can soar with our wings,
But our feet help us cling,
We feast on ripe fruit,
But insects won’t suit,
We can all see just fine,
But we’re often called blind.
Don’t scream when you see us, don’t wail and don’t shout,
Don’t wave your arms in the air, and don’t run straight out,
We’re not here to hurt you, or give you a scare,
And we certainly won’t get stuck in your hair!
If you come to the Zoo, we feel it’s your duty
To all come and meet us…
…in a Forest that’s Fruity!
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