by Lorraine Sharaf
Whether you think that flying mice with leathery wings are freaky or fascinating, bats are important members of the ecosystem, consuming copious amounts of insects, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. They are not actually rodents with wings. They are a distinct order of mammals that has been on earth for the last 40 to 50 million years, according to fossil findings. Bats currently live over the entire planet, except for the most frigid places, like the Artic and Antartic.
Onychonycteris from Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming. Wiki Commons
Are they Freaky? Well, they are not traditionally cute, with some species having particularly contorted looking faces with huge ears and strange-shaped noses. They hang upside down to sleep, wrapped in their wing cloaks, and have razor-sharp little teeth and fangs. If you have ever found one hanging from your curtain rod in the morning while you are getting ready for work or been awoken in the middle of the night by a flit-flit-flit-flit-flit sound circling above your bed, you might think, “Oh, this is Freaky,” with a quick exit stage left to the living room or out the door. In fact, “Flittermouse” is an old English word for a bat, which perfectly describes the sound of a cloud (think flock or swarm) of bat’s wings flitting and fluttering through the night sky.
Freaky, perhaps. What about Fascinating? Bats are the only mammals that can fly! What? Like flying monkeys? Except flying monkeys only live in the Wizard of Oz, and bats live right here in Pennsylvania. Although there are a few other mammals, such as flying squirrels, that can glide through the air, only bats have flapping wings and can truly fly.
Smartclass4kids.com
Why Would You Want Bats in Your Yard?
Because they eat insects, lots of them. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, a bat consumes up to 25 percent of its weight a night, which could be up to 5,000 or more insects in one night by one bat. Bats are a huge help to farmers. Rutgers University reports that bats’ consumption of agricultural pests is a cost savings of about $22.9 billion annually in the United States because farmers can reduce their number of pesticide applications. Less pesticides are better for the environment and human health. These numbers do not include the financial and environmental benefits of bats pollinating crops and dispersing seeds, nor their benefits to the forest ecosystem and lumber industry.
What Exactly is a Bat?
Bats are mammals grouped within the Chiroptera order, which means “hand wing” from the ancient Greek words “cheir” (hand) and “pteron” (wing) and describes how a bat’s wing is formed from a thin membrane of skin stretched over elongated finger bones that are almost identical to a human hand and arm, only elongated and smaller. Bats finger bones are flattened, instead of circular, making them more flexible to maneuver while flying. All bats have a big thumb with a claw, which helps them to climb on trees and hold on to flowers, fruit and insects while eating.
An important fact about bats is that they cannot fly from the ground or other enclosure that they may have gotten themselves into accidentality. They need to be elevated to launch, or drop, themselves into flight. Hanging upside down is a perfect take-off position.
Bats are divided into two main suborders: microbats and megabats. This article will focus on microbats, which are the suborder that make their homes here in Pennsylvania (mega bats are fascinating as well!). As their name implies, microbats are smaller than megabats and primarily eat night-time flying insects, with a few carnivorous species dining on mice, fish, frogs, lizards, birds and other bats or blood. Yes, vampire bats do exist. There are 3 species of vampire bats that live exclusively on blood for both food and water needs (don’t worry, they only live in South America and do not bite humans!). They also don’t suck the blood from their victims. They bite their prey, generally sleeping domestic animals, and lick the blood.
Eastern Red Bat, spotted at Ringing Rocks County Park. Photo by Sara Zaslow
In addition to their vision (that’s right, they are not blind!) and strong sense of smell, microbats navigate the world around them by using a type of sonar, called echolocation. A bat will emit high-frequency sounds, beyond human range, that are bounced back to their ears as echoes, which are then processed within their brain to produce a mental image of their environment, including objects’ size, distance and movement. This ability is so refined that they can detect an object as fine as a single human hair, in total darkness. And, no they do not want to nest in your hair. If a bat flies close to your head, they are most likely snacking on an insect flying around your head. Thank you, bat! Other animals that use echolocation are whales, dolphins, porpoises, and shrews. Oh, and remember their strange noses, that is to help focus and hone their echolocation sounds into their ears!
Which Bats Live in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has nine native bat species that live in a variety of habitats, including forests, fields, wetlands, cities and suburbs. All are from the microbat species and are insect eaters, which they chase and capture in flight.
The Pennsylvania species are:
* Endangered species
How do I Attract Bats to My Yard?
The quick explanation is to provide food, water, and shelter by planting native plants that attract insects, installing a bat house at least 12-20 feet high in a sunny location, and ensuring there is an unobstructed water source nearby. Don’t use pesticides, since they can harm bats and reduce their food supply. Here are some guides for attracting and supporting bats in your yard: World Birds and Backyard Boss guide.
A bat house, wikipedia
Because flying insects are not active during the winter months, bats must either hibernate or migrate to survive the winter. Bats that remain in Pennsylvania throughout the year gather in caves and abandoned mines to hibernate. Hibernating bats survive on a very small amount of stored fat during the five- to six-month hibernation period. They look for dry, warm, enclosed, predator-free locations with plenty of food. They roost in tree hollows, caves, rock formations, abandoned mines, and buildings in forested or wooded areas that are near water. You may also find them in your eaves, attics, barns, and basements. You can find several resources to prevent bats from moving in during the winter and to humanely remove existing bats. Here is a guide from Bat Conservation International.
Bats Are in Trouble
A bat with white nose syndrome, National Speleological Society
Bats face numerous challenges that threaten their lives. These include disease, such as the white-nose syndrome, which is a fungal growth that infects hibernating bats; habitat loss for both the bats and their prey, such as clearing out wooded areas, draining wetlands, and using pesticides; light pollution and contaminated water and lands, wind turbines, hunting for meat and sport, misunderstanding about their importance, and outdated myths that bats are dangerous. Additionally, each female typically only has one pup per year so their population grows slowly and is easily impacted.
If you find an injured bat, or other wildlife, contact:
AARK Wildlife Rehab. & Education Center, Inc.
1531 Upper Stump Road
Chalfont, PA 18914-1715
215-249-1938
If you need to rescue a grounded bat, or move an insured bat,, always wear gloves. An easy way to pick up a bat is by placing a dish towel over the bat and gently picking it up. Place it into a shoebox, or other small container with a lid, if you are transporting it to a wildlife rescue facility or veterinarian. If the bat seems uninjured and simply stranded on the ground, place it onto a high spot, like a tree branch, so that it can drop into flight.
For other counties in Pennsylvania, go to the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators website and select your county: https://pawr.com/
Bats are a vital part of our ecosystem and help keep insect populations in check. So next time you see a bat, say “thank you!” instead of “AHHH!”
Further Reading:
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaenamontanari/2017/04/17/five-awesome-facts-for-bat-appreciation-day/
- https://www.batcon.org/getting-to-know-your-friendly-neighborhood-bats/
- https://batworlds.com/
Source Materials:
USGS, Smithsonian, National Park Service, USDA, Rutgers University, US Forest Service, Backyard Boss, PA.gov, WorldAtlas.com, Bat Conservation International, a-z-animals.com, Sciencedaily.com, Bat Conservation International (Batcon.org), worldbirds.com
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