Few mammals are as shrouded in fear and superstition as bats. In western culture, bats are regarded as symbols of doom and darkness and associated with horror stories in the Dracula tradition. Common fallacies are that bats are blind, a sign of death and will entagle themselves in people's hair. Undoubtedly, some of this fear stems from an unfamiliarity with these mammals. In fact, bats are among nature's most fascinating animals. They display a number of remarkable adaptations for their unique lifestyle.
Bats are flying mammals. Like all mammals, they have teeth and a body covering of fur, they give birth to live young and nurse their young with milk. However, bats are the only mammals that possess wings and the ability to fly. A bat's wing is quite different from a bird's wing, cosisting of a membrane of elastic skin stretched across the bones of the fingers and hand. The scientific name for bats, Chiroptera, is a Greek word that means "winged hand".
Scientists recognize some 950 species of bats. They occur on all continents except Antarctica but the majority live in tropical regions. Their food habits are amazingly diverse. Most are carnivorous and about three-quarters of the known bats eat insects and other ivertebrates. In the tropics, several bats are adapted to prey on vertebrate animals such as fish, frogs, lizards, birds and small mammals. The infamous vampire bats of Central and South America feed exclusively on the blood of mammals and birds. Other nectar and pollen of flowers. Although most bats are small, the flying fox, a fruit-eating bat, weighs as much as a kilogram and has a wingspan of two metres.
How bats navigate in total darkness is a question that has long intrigued man. As far back as the 1700's it was speculated that bats somehow saw with their ears, using a mysterious "sixth sense". We now know that this sixth sense is sonar or echolocation. Bats produce high-pitched beeps or clicks and listen for the echoes of these sounds as they are reflected off objects. Most of these sounds are a higher pitch than a human's range of hearing. This sonar system is highly sophisticated, it enables bats to avoid obstacles and even track flying insects.
With 17 species, British Columbia has more bats than any other part of Canada. We have none of the exotic tropical species, but our bats have managed to cope with the Canadian winter, a season of cold temperatures and few insects for food. Some of our bats avoid winter by migrating elsewhere, others hibernate in caves or old mines.
Bats have a long history of persecution. However, man has become increasingly aware of these unique animals and there is growing concern about the impact of pesticides, disturbance and habitat destruction on their populations.
bat encounters are most common during the summer when bats enter houses and sheds through open windows, chimneys or wall cracks. A flying bat will generally leave on its own if windows and doors are opened and lights are turned off.
Avoid handling bats, however if it is necessary, wear leather gloves. If a bat is asleep in your house, a pillow case can be used to gently grasp the bat (wear thick gloves as a precaution against bites). The bat will be trapped when the case is turned inside out; once outdoors, the bat can be released.
Exclude bats from buildings by sealing up the place of entry after bats leave at night to feed. Be sure not to seal off a nursery colony during summer or the flightless young will perish. Ideally, all openings should be sealed in the winter when the bats have left the structure to hibernate elsewhere. If you want to encourage bats into your neighbourhood, consider a bat house.
While bats, like other animal species, can carry rabies, scientists estimate that only 1 out of every 200 bats are affected. The best precautions are to avoid handling bats or any other wild animals, and make sure pets are vaccinated.
Unfortunately, bats tend to be viewed as undesirable by many people, when in fact they perform invaluable ecological roles, such as keeping insect populations in check. All bats are protected under the British Columbian Wildlife Act and cannot be indiscriminately killed.
