Birds And Bats Have Weird, Limited Microbiomes — And That Might Be Due To Flight

Most mammals have microbiomes specific to their hosts — except bats. It's a trait they share with the other, more feathered, flyers.

By Leslie Nemo
Jan 7, 2020 9:45 PMJan 7, 2020 9:52 PM
Bat Microbiome
Bats have microbiomes much smaller than those of other mammals, something scientists think could be related to flying. (Credit: Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock)

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If you looked at a dropping from almost any mammal and looked at its bacteria, chances are good you'd be able to tell whether it came from a bear, a cat or a primate. That's because mammals have microbiomes that are fairly specific to their hosts.

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