BAT FOLLOWUP

Zoologists refer to the bat as a Megachiroptera or Microchiroptera, which just means large bat or small bat. The largest bat has a wingspan of six (6) feet and are fruit bats. The smallest bat has a body length of only one (1) inch. Bats are mammals and the longest known lifespan of a bat in the wild is 30 years for the brown bat.

I am not a scientist, teacher or professor. I am just an ordinary person who has been doing some reading on bats and found them to be quite fascinating. And not at all what I expected. Because they are not what I expected, I thought I would write a little bit about them and maybe dispel some myths while I was at it.

There are almost a thousand (1000) different species of bats. Each has its own unique characteristics, features, sizes and food preferences, much like any other mammal. Bats are the only mammal capable of flight and their skeleton is similar to ours. Approximately 70% of the bats eat flying insects. Some micro-bats can eat up to 300 bugs an hour and some can eat up to 1000 bugs an hour.

Bats homes are being destroyed on a continual basis and personally I would rather have some bats around than use use insecticides around where I am living and eating.

Most people are afraid of bats or have an active dislike of them, mostly because they don't understand them or what they do for us. All the vampire movies around contribute to this illogical fear. Actually the “blood sucking vampire bats” are only in the movies. There are three “blood drinking “bats (vampire bats) and they are all in South America. They usually feed on cattle and other small animals. They slit the skin and lap up the blood. Scientists are just finding out that they use a blood thinning agent in their saliva, and are studying the effects of this agent to treat humans that require blood thinning drugs.

The other thing that people are afraid of is the myth that all bats have rabies. A study at the University of Florida has shown that less than ½ of 1% of all bats have rabies. It is more likely for a person to be bitten by an unvaccinated dog or cat.

We have all heard stories about bats getting stuck in a persons hair. A bat can find a tiny gnat with its echolocation abilities, they definitely can get around us. Common sense says that if you find a bat on the ground, leave it alone. Bats are not normally on the ground, so they could be injured or sick. Like all mammals, bats can carry rabies, so leave alone if on the ground.

Another reason why people don't like bats is because in the olden days bats were thought to communicate or talk with the spirits. This and the fact that they are night creatures, is why they are used on Halloween and some people still believe in the old stories.

Bats help people in several ways. There are many species that can eat thousands of mosquitoes and crop destroying insects in a single night. Others pollinate many fruits and nuts that we enjoy, such as vanilla beans, peaches, banana's, avocados, dates, figs, mangoes, cloves, cashews and agave. They also eat the insects that destroy crops and plants.

Bats account for approximately 25% of all mammals on this earth and live on all continents except Antarctica and a few islands. Like bears, bats will either migrate to warmer climes in the winter or hibernate. We can help these bats which are so beneficial by putting up bat houses. They are very picky about their homes. They must roost high enough to avoid predators, the right temperatures to stay warm but not to hot and have food and water nearby.

KenR