Comparative hematology of the Myotis blythii.

Summary: Bats are everywhere, but we still don't know much about their blood! In this study, scientists looked at the blood, spleen, and bone marrow of the lesser mouse-eared bat. They compared the bat's blood to that of rats and pigs. They found that bats make red blood cells much faster than the other animals. The tiny factories in their bodies that make these blood cells are smaller but work very hard. Also, bat blood cells have a slightly different type of hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen) and hold less of it. This helps us understand exactly how bats' amazing bodies work!