The mysterious , gong - shape bloom of the saguaro cactus utilize a secure melony scent to tell the bats that cross-pollinate them they ’re open for business , but they hide the nectar the bat need to lick up deep inside their base . If the bat want to eat , it has to squeeze its face into the dozens of pollen - breed anthers inside the bloom .
Making enough nectar to satisfy a at-bat is energetically expensive for the plant , but putting the drive into the payoff is deserving it . at-bat pelt can hold a vast amount of pollen ( look at its face ! ) , and the flying mammals can bear it to cactus that are ready to mate , but far far away .
[ Fleming et al . 2009 ]
Image of Lesser Long - Nosed Bat by Merlin D. Tuttle , Bat Conservation International via USDAFlickr|CC BY 2.0
get hold of the author at[email protected ] .
Animals
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