Bat Stories
I saved a bat from drowning in the pool last night. I was alerted to his dilemma by a cat intently circling the perimeter. All I saw was a black spot splashing frantically along the side but I guessed what it was. I grabbed a net on a pole and scooped the creature up. He had been on his back in the water, wings outstretched desperately trying to right himself. Unable to determine if he was seriously harmed I put him in the crook of a big old plum tree. This morning he was gone. So I'm hoping he escaped any predators (mostly cats and raccoons in this neighborhood rather than owls, hawks, falcons and snakes).
It was not my first encounter with a bat. One morning I found a small bat hanging upside down in the pools' skimmer. It was a precarious place even for a bat. If he dropped, he would be sucked into the skimmer basket. If he was able to hang onto the slick, slippery surface all day, how was he going to fly away with his head only millimeters above the water? Besides, how did he get there in the first place? Was he sick? Did he have rabies?
I called Animal Control. They said it was unlikely he had rabies. The most recent report of rabies in Denver was well over 15 years ago and found in the skunk population. Still, I was strongly advised not to touch him with my bare hands for any reason. Similar to last night, I scooped him up in a small net and deposited him in the same old plum tree. At dusk, he climbed up the trunk and flew off into the night.
Every summer, bats are regular evening guests here, swooping down into the pool gently slapping the water collecting insects and quenching their thirst. My lady friends don't care for them much. They think they will mess with their hair. I tell them not to fret unless of course they have bugs in their hair. I'm joking of course but I'm constantly surprised at how little people know about bats and how inaccurate that information often is.
Curious Facts:
Bats are unique in the animal kingdom because they are the only mammals to have evolved true flight.
Most bats also possess a system of acoustic orientation, often called "bat radar," but technically known as echolocation.
There are almost 1000 species of bats worldwide, representing 1/4 of all mammals.
Bats nurse their pups just like other mammals do.
Nearly all bats that live in the United States feed on insects.
Vampire bats don't suck blood. They make a small incision and lap up the blood of their hosts.
In some parts of the world, bats take the place of bees in pollinating plants.
Little brown bats have life spans that may exceed 32 years.
A bat will eat half its weight in insects in a single night.
The Bumblebee Bat with a 6-inch wing span is the world’s smallest bat.
The Flying Fox, with a wingspan of 78 inches, is the world’s largest.
Fewer people have died from bat rabies during the past 40 years than have died from dog bites or bee stings in a single year.
If you would like to learn more about bats check out this link .
It was not my first encounter with a bat. One morning I found a small bat hanging upside down in the pools' skimmer. It was a precarious place even for a bat. If he dropped, he would be sucked into the skimmer basket. If he was able to hang onto the slick, slippery surface all day, how was he going to fly away with his head only millimeters above the water? Besides, how did he get there in the first place? Was he sick? Did he have rabies?
I called Animal Control. They said it was unlikely he had rabies. The most recent report of rabies in Denver was well over 15 years ago and found in the skunk population. Still, I was strongly advised not to touch him with my bare hands for any reason. Similar to last night, I scooped him up in a small net and deposited him in the same old plum tree. At dusk, he climbed up the trunk and flew off into the night.
Every summer, bats are regular evening guests here, swooping down into the pool gently slapping the water collecting insects and quenching their thirst. My lady friends don't care for them much. They think they will mess with their hair. I tell them not to fret unless of course they have bugs in their hair. I'm joking of course but I'm constantly surprised at how little people know about bats and how inaccurate that information often is.
Curious Facts:
Bats are unique in the animal kingdom because they are the only mammals to have evolved true flight.
Most bats also possess a system of acoustic orientation, often called "bat radar," but technically known as echolocation.
There are almost 1000 species of bats worldwide, representing 1/4 of all mammals.
Bats nurse their pups just like other mammals do.
Nearly all bats that live in the United States feed on insects.
Vampire bats don't suck blood. They make a small incision and lap up the blood of their hosts.
In some parts of the world, bats take the place of bees in pollinating plants.
Little brown bats have life spans that may exceed 32 years.
A bat will eat half its weight in insects in a single night.
The Bumblebee Bat with a 6-inch wing span is the world’s smallest bat.
The Flying Fox, with a wingspan of 78 inches, is the world’s largest.
Fewer people have died from bat rabies during the past 40 years than have died from dog bites or bee stings in a single year.
If you would like to learn more about bats check out this link .
posted by ljmcinnis at 8:20 PM
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