Bats

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Which bats are likely to use buildings?

Antrozous pallidus - pallid bat
The pallid bat is a medium-sized bat with light brown or grey-yellow fur with a white underside and large ears measuring about 25 mm (1 inch) in length. It is found in the western and southwestern U.S., mostly in arid areas. These bats roosts in caves, rock crevices, mines, hollow trees, buildings, and under bridges.


Corynorhinus townsendii - Townsend's big-eared bat
Townsend’s big-eared bat is a medium-sized bat with pale brown to black fur and large ears measuring up to 40 mm (1.6 inches) in length. It ranges from southwestern Canada to the U.S. and Mexico. Big-eared bats roost in caves, cliffs, abandoned mines, and rock ledges. These bats generally do not use crevices in buildings, but prefer large spaces that trap hot air.



Corynorhinus rafinesquii - Rafinesque's big-eared bat
Rafinesque’s big-eared bat is a medium-sized gray bat with a white underside. It has large ears measuring more than 1 inch in length, and two large lumps on the snout. It occurs in the Ohio River Valley, and east and south of the Appalachians, westward along the Gulf Coast. Females form maternity colonies of up to several dozen individuals in building and sometimes in caves. Males roost singly during this time in buildings, behind loose tree bark, and in hollow trees. They generally hibernate in caves or abandoned mines.




Eptesicus fuscus - big brown bat
The big brown bat is a relatively large, robust bat with a broad nose and fur that ranges in color from light rusty to dark chocolate brown. It ranges throughout most of the U.S. and Canada, with the exception of central Texas and extreme southern Florida.

In summer, females typically form nursery colonies of 25 to 75 bats, while males live alone or in smaller bachelor colonies. They commonly roost in buildings, although nursery colonies are also found in hollow trees. In winter, big brown bats hibernate singly or in groups of up to 100 in caves, abandoned mines, and buildings.



Myotis californicus - California myotis
The California myotis is a small bat that ranges in color from light tan to nearly black. It ranges from southern Alaska to western Canada southward through the western U.S. These bats roost under loose bark, in hollow trees, rock crevices, and buildings. They also use bat houses. The sexes separate in the summer when females form small maternity colonies. California myotis hibernate in caves and mines.




Myotis evotis - western long-eared myotis
The western long-eared myotis is a medium-sized bat with long black ears and dark wing membranes. The fur is long and glossy and generally brown in color. It ranges from southwestern Canada into the western U.S. and Baja California.

These bats often live alone or in small groups, although females form small maternity colonies of 12 to 30 individuals in the summer. Western long-eared myotis roost in hollow trees, under loose slabs of bark, in fissures of cliffs, sink holes, caves, mines, and abandoned buildings. They are also known to use bat houses. Measurements: forearm length 36-41 mm (1.4-1.6 inches), weight 5-8 grams (0.2-0.3 ounces).




Myotis lucifugus - little brown myotis
The little brown myotis is a small bat with long, glossy fur that ranges in color from pale tan to dark chocolate brown. It is found in wooded areas throughout most of Canada and the northern half of the U.S., with the exception of desert or arid areas.

There are also a few isolated populations farther south. In summer, females often form nursery colonies in buildings. Nursery colonies have also been found in tree hollows, rock crevices, and bridges. These bats are also common residents of bat houses. In winter, little brown bats hibernate in caves and mines.



Myotis yumanensis - Yuma myotis
The Yuma myotis is a small bat that ranges in color from light tan to dark brown with white underparts. It ranges from southwestern British Columbia through the western U.S. In summer, females form maternity colonies that may include thousands of individuals. Maternity colonies are found in buildings, under bridges, and in mines and caves. Males live relatively solitary lives, roosting in buildings or other suitable roosts. Yuma myotis also use bat houses. Bats leave the nursery roosts in the fall, although their winter habitat is unknown.


Link: http://www.batcon.org/home/index.asp...1&idSubPage=44

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Nycticieus humeralis - evening bat
The evening bat is a small brown bat that ranges east of the Appalachians, from southern Pennsylvania to Florida. West of the mountains, it occurs from extreme southern Michigan and Wisconsin, west to southeastern Nebraska and south through eastern and southern Texas. It is abundant in southern coastal states. Nursery colonies in buildings can contain hundreds of individuals. Smaller colonies are found beneath loose tree bark and in tree cavities. These bats are also known to use bat houses. Although winter habitat is unknown in most of their range, they have been found overwintering in bat houses in Florida and in buildings in northern Texas.






Pipistrellus hesperus - western pipistrelle
The western pipistrelle is a small small light gray or yellowish tan bat with a distinctive black mask that includes its face and ears. It lives primarily in arid and semiarid lowland areas from Washington and Oregon, south through southwestern Idaho and western Nevada to Michoacan and Hidalgo Mexico. It also ranges east through much of Utah, extreme southwestern Colorado, most of New Mexico to southwestern Oklahoma, and southward across West Texas. They generally roost in cliff face crevices, but have also been found roosting beneath rocks, in dead leaves of palms, and behind window shutters.






Pipistrellus subflavus - eastern pipistrelle
The eastern pipistrelle is a small bat with tricolored fur that is dark at the base and tips and lighter in the center. The bat can easily be identified when roosting by the juxtaposition of reddish-orange forearms and black wing membranes. It ranges from eastern Canada throughout most of the eastern U.S. They are generally solitary bats although females form small maternity colonies of 35 individuals or less in tree cavities, rock crevices, and sometimes buildings.






Eumops perotis - western mastiff bat
The western mastiff bat is a large brownish grey to dark gray bat with a paler underside, long, narrow wings and a tail that protrudes beyond the tail membrane. The rounded ears are joined at the midline and extend beyond the nose. It ranges from California to Texas. Western mastiff bats roost in cliff faces and buildings. They form colonies of less than 100 individuals. They are probably non-migratory, but may move among several roosts in an area.






Eumops glaucinus - Wagner’s mastiff bat
Wagner’s mastiff bat is a large dark grey or brown bat with a paler underside. It has long narrow wings, smooth lips, and a tail that protrudes beyond the tail membrane. The round ears are joined above the forehead. In the U.S., it is found only in southern Florida. Western mastiff bats roost in tree hollows, palm fronds, and buildings, particularly under Spanish tile roofs. This species is uncommon although they a nursery colony of 32 individuals has been reported. They are permanent residents throughout their range where conditions are warm enough that they do not require hibernation.






Molossus molossus - Pallas’ mastiff bat
Pallas’ mastiff is a medium sized bat with reddish-brown to black fur and a tail that protrudes free from the tail membrane. Although similar in appearance to the Mexican free-tailed bat, Pallas’ mastiff bat has ears that lay forward and are joined at the base. Three colonies of M. molossus have been documented in the U.S. The colonies were found roosting in buildings in the Florida Keys. In other parts of their range, Pallas’ mastiff bats are known to roost in hollow trees, palm fronds, rock crevices, caves, bridges, buildings and bat houses. Young are reared in buildings, hollow trees, or caves.






Nyctinomops macrotis - big free-tailed bat
The big free-tailed bat is light reddish-brown to chocolate brown or black, with narrow wings and verticle wrinkles on the upper lip. It ranges from southern California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado to southwestern Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma, and the Big Bend area of Texas. Big free-tailed bats roost mainly in crevices and fissures of rocky cliffs, but have also been found in large cave entrances, hollow trees, and buildings. Nursery colonies range from 20 to 150 individuals. There are winter records only from southern Arizona, California, and Texas.






Tadarida brasiliensis - Mexican free-tailed bat
The Mexican free-tailed bat is a medium-sized bat with brown or gray fur, long, narrow wings and a tail that protrudes free from the tail membrane. The ears are large and rounded, and the upper lips have numerous vertical wrinkles. It is common in southern and southwestern U.S. and north to Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon. Mexican free-tailed bats may form nursery colonies that include anywhere from a few hundred to several million bats. Nursery colonies are found in caves, under bridges, and in buildings. Males form smaller bachelor colonies. These bats also use bat houses. They are not capable of true hibernation and most western populations migrate to caves in Mexico and Central America during the winter, although some colonies overwinter in buildings or bat houses in warmer sections of their range.


Link: http://www.batcon.org/home/index.asp...1&idSubPage=45

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Living Safely With Bats

The tragic death of a 13-year-old Connecticut girl from rabies last October has once again triggered an avalanche of dire warnings about the supposed dangers of sharing our neighborhoods with bats. Some communities have recommended eviction of any bats living near humans, and others have even mandated removal of backyard bat houses. Are such actions justified? Let's examine the facts.
Only two diseases have been transmitted from bats to humans in North America: histoplasmosis and rabies. Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease caused by a fungus that grows in soil enriched by animal droppings, most frequently birds. Ninety percent of all reported cases in humans come from the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and adjacent areas where warm, humid conditions favor fungal growth. The disease is rare or nonexistent in most of Canada and in the far northern and western U.S. The vast majority of cases are asymptomatic or involve no more than flu-like symptoms, though a few individuals become seriously ill, especially if exposed to large quantities of spore-laden dust. To be safe, simply avoid breathing dust in areas where there are animal droppings.

Rabies is a viral infection of the central nervous system and is easily prevented by vaccination. The modern rabies vaccine ranks among the safest and least painful of all vaccines and provides excellent protection. Anyone who handles wild animals should obtain pre-exposure immunization, and anyone bitten or exposed to the saliva or nerve tissue of a rabies-suspect animal should immediately obtain post-exposure treatment. This treatment has been simplified and no longer requires a lengthy series of shots in the stomach as it did in the past.

Worldwide, more than 30,000 humans die from rabies each year, and 99 percent of these deaths are due to contact with rabid dogs. In modern countries, where most dogs and cats are now vaccinated against rabies, the disease is rare in humans. For example, only about one person per year contracts rabies in the U.S. Dog bites remain the most frequent cause for vaccination in North America, but fatalities more often result from contact with wildlife, which is less likely to be reported and treated.

Inexplicably, a strain believed to be associated with the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), based on monoclonal antibody tests, now accounts for the majority of all North American human rabies cases. How this rare transmission occurs remains a mystery, since silver-haired bats seldom contact people and do not form colonies in buildings or bat houses. Such cases typically cannot be traced to any known exposure.

The good news is that the North American bat species most frequently found in our homes or bat houses, big and little brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus and Myotis lucifugus), are not known to have caused a single case of human rabies in the past 15 years. In fact, only four cases are believed to have come from common house-dwelling species in American history. Furthermore, contrary to occasional speculation, there is no evidence that bats living in buildings ever transmit rabies through parasites, the air, or fecal material. Since 1980, 14 Americans have died of rabies contracted from bats, and eight of those were ascribed to silver-haired bats. Some cases could have been prevented—for example, the one involving a man who failed to report being bitten by a sick bat that he dunked in his beer during a barroom prank. Placed in perspective, we are hundreds of times more likely to die from riding a bicycle, falling down stairs, or hitting a deer while driving. In fact, dog attacks kill as many Americans annually as have died in the past 15 years from contact with bats. Death from bat rabies grabs headlines only because it is so rare.

Children should be taught to appreciate but never handle bats or any other wild animals. Only experienced animal rehabilitators, researchers, or educators should attempt to keep bats in captivity. Such people must be protected by pre-exposure immunization. Even newborn animals can be infected with rabies, and the virus can lie dormant in any mammal for many months before making it visibly sick or contagious. Rabies outbreaks in animals such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes are unaffected by, and independent of, the disease in bats. There is no evidence that outbreaks of rabies occur in bats, nor that the current incidence is any higher than in decades past. In bats, only occasional individuals succumb to the illness, and these typically remain nonaggressive, biting only in self-defense, if handled.

The odds of contracting rabies are virtually nonexistent for anyone who: 1) vaccinates family dogs and cats; 2) avoids handling wildlife; and 3) obtains prompt vaccination following any suspected exposure. It also makes sense to exclude bats from human living quarters, rarely a difficult task, even if bats live in the attic. There is no evidence to suggest that elimination of bats from buildings or bat houses would make any neighborhood measurably safer. In fact, loss of bats increases demand for pesticides that already threaten both human and environmental health. You can help by countering with facts when local media run needlessly scary stories.

Merlin D. Tuttle Founder and President
Bat Conservation International


Link: http://www.batcon.org/home/index.asp...1&idSubPage=46


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[AlumniClub]

How dangerous are bats?
Bat rabies accounts for approximately one human death per year in the United States. Thus, some people consider bats to be dangerous. Nevertheless, dogs which often are considered "man's best friend," attack and kill more humans annually than die from bat rabies in a decade. Statistically speaking, pets, playground equipment, and sports are far more dangerous than bats. Clearly, bats do not rank very high among mortality threats to humans. Nevertheless, prudence and simple precautions can save lives.

What is rabies, and how is it transmitted?
Rabies is an infectious viral disease that invades the central nervous system of humans and other warm-blooded animals. A wide variety of mammals can contract the disease, but it is most often noticed in dogs, cats, foxes, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, bats, and livestock. Worldwide, more than 30,000 humans die of rabies each year, 99% of these cases resulting from contact with dogs. In the United States, due to highly successful dog vaccination programs, transmission from dogs is now rare, eliminating the vast majority of human cases.
Rabies is nearly always transmitted by a bite, though non-bite exposures can result from contact between infected saliva or nervous tissues and open wounds or the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth. Careless handling is the primary source of rabies exposure from bats.

Rabies virus has not been isolated from bat blood, urine or feces, and there is no evidence of air-borne transmission in buildings. Two cases of aerosol transmission were reported in the 1950's in Texas caves that support very unusual environments. However, no similar cases have occurred since, despite the fact that many thousands of people explore bat caves each year. No such transmission has occurred outside or in buildings.

Which bat variances of the rabies virus have been transmitted to humans?
Rabies virus variances associated with six of the 45 bat species living in the continental United States have been transmitted to humans. These include the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), the eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus), and two species that were not positively identified. These are suspected of having been western (Myotis ciliolabrum) and eastern (M. leibii) small-footed myotis. Variances of the rabies virus attributed to bats that commonly live in buildings have been associated with eight human fatalities in U.S. history.

Do large bat populations lead to increased incidence of rabies transmission to humans?
The largest urban bat populations consist almost exclusively of colonial species, and there is no evidence linking them to increased transmission to humans. Tens of thousands of people have closely observed the emergences of 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas each summer for over 16 years without incident. In fact, though Austin, San Antonio, and several other Texas Hill Country towns likely support the highest bat densities in America, they have recorded no human cases of bat-transmitted rabies.

Are bats likely to cause rabies outbreaks in other wildlife or in domestic animals?
There is no evidence that rabies from bats has ever triggered an outbreak in other animals. It occasionally does spill over into other species, causing individual animals to die, but even this is apparently rare. Despite the fact that numerous carnivores gather to feed on the 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats at Bracken Cave, Texas, no outbreaks of rabies are known from this source. No transmission from bats to dogs is known to have occurred, though rare cases of transmission to cats have been documented. The presence or absence of bats is irrelevant to the fact that all dogs and cats should be vaccinated.

What can be done to prevent rabies transmission to humans?
By far the most important prevention is dog and cat vaccination. Also, children should be especially warned never to handle any unfamiliar animal. Explain that wild animals that can be touched may be rabid and dangerous. Ninety to 95% of sick bats are not rabid, but taking a careless chance on being bitten could prove fatal. Any animal bite should be reported immediately to a family physician or public health professional for evaluation as a possible rabies exposure.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend pre-exposure vaccinations for people who are at high risk of exposure, such as rabies researchers, veterinarians, field biologists, and animal rehabilitators. Vaccines currently available include Imovax (HDCV--a human diploid cell vaccine) and Rabavert (PCEC--a purified chick embryo cell vaccine). Vaccinations are administered on days 0, 7, and 21 or 28. For those at continued risk of exposure to rabies, a booster dose of vaccine or serology may be necessary at intervals of 6 months to 2 years.

What are the symptoms of rabies?
Rabies causes fatal inflammation of the brain or spinal cord. Symptoms most often develop about 10 days to seven months after infection, and death follows 2-12 days after symptoms appear. Early symptoms in humans include pain, burning, and numbness at the site of infection. Victims complain of headaches, inability to sleep, irritability, muscle spasms of the throat and difficulty swallowing. Convulsions may occur, followed by unconsciousness and death.
Rabies is often referred to as hydrophobia because victims fear swallowing. Drinking or eating can bring on muscle spasms of the throat. The fear of swallowing also accounts for saliva accumulation referred to as "foaming" at the mouth. Infected animals may be either agitated and aggressive or paralyzed and passive. Dogs, cats, and other carnivores often become aggressive and try to attack humans and other animals, but bats are typically passive. Bats normally bite only in self-defense if handled, and aggressive behavior is rare even when rabid.

How should potential exposures to rabid bats be evaluated and treated?
Any bat that bites a human should be tested for rabies as soon as possible, and post-exposure treatment should begin immediately unless the bat is confirmed negative. Bat bites are typically felt and detected at the time. Visual examination for bite marks is unreliable. If visible at all, bites may appear only as a single tiny puncture or scratch. Most punctures are a millimeter or less in diameter, and most bat inflicted scratch marks are less than a centimeter long. Extenuating circumstances can make detection difficult. If a lost or sick bat hides in bedding, it could be inadvertently pinched during one's sleep, bite, and leave without detection. Also, people hauling in firewood or moving outdoor lumber piles may accidentally poke and be bitten by a bat without noticing. These are obviously remote possibilities, though wearing gloves when moving wood piles could provide protection. If a young child or a mentally incapacitated person is found alone with a bat in the same room and the possibility of a bite cannot be eliminated, post-exposure treatment should be considered unless prompt testing of the bat can rule out infection. When questioning about possible exposure, it is essential first to calm fears of painful shots. For the majority of patients, the post-exposure shots are less painful than tetanus vaccinations. Also, persons who wake up with a bat in the same room where they have been sleeping are advised to submit it for testing, especially if the bat is unable to fly or seems weak.

What is the recommended treatment for a known or suspected rabies exposure?
Modern rabies treatment is highly effective and relatively painless. Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis should begin as soon after exposure as possible. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposed humans who have not previously been vaccinated against rabies should receive an initial IM injection of Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG), twenty international units per kilogram body weight or nine international units per pound of body weight in total. If anatomically feasible, the full dose of HRIG should be thoroughly infiltrated in the area around and into the wound(s). Any remaining volume should be administered intramuscularly at a site distant from vaccine inoculation. The HRIG is followed by a series of five 1.0 ml of either Imovax (HDCV--a Human Diploid Cell Vaccine) or Rabavert (PCEC--a purified chick embryo cell vaccine). The vaccination series is given on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28. Vaccines are administered intramuscularly in the deltoid region. Persons who have previously received rabies vaccination should receive two 1.0 ml IM doses of either of the two vaccines given above, one on day 0, the second on day 3.

Where can the vaccine be obtained?
Rabies post-exposure vaccinations can be obtained from hospitals, emergency clinics, and doctors. If unavailable locally, vaccines and human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) can be obtained as follows: 1) Imovax (HDCV) and Imogan (HRIG) from Aventis Pasteur at (800) 822-2463; 2) Rabavert (PCEC) from Chiron at (800) 244-7668; 3) Bayrab (HRIG) from Bayer at (800) 288-8370. Additional information is available from the Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at (404) 639-1075 during working hours, or at (404) 639-2888 on nights, weekends, or holidays.

Are there other diseases to be concerned about from bats?
The only other disease of public health concern in the United States is Histoplasmosis, which is caused by a fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum. This fungus lives in soil enriched by bird or bat droppings. Human infection is common in and adjacent to the Ohio and Mississippi River drainages where warm, humid climates favor fungal development. The fungus is rare in dry western and cool northern climates. It can be present, but is uncommon in dry, hot attics of buildings. Infection is caused by inhalation of air-borne spores in dust enriched by animal droppings. The vast majority of histoplasmosis cases in humans are asymptomatic or involve no more than flu-like symptoms, though a few individuals may become seriously ill, especially if exposed to large quantities of spore-laden dust. The disease can be avoided by not breathing dust suspected of being enriched by animal feces. Risks from bats are no different from those of birds.

What about West Nile virus?
Despite what you may have heard, bats do not transmit the West Nile Virus to people or other animals. The virus is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes. Members of only two bat species have been found to be infected with the virus and, like most other mammals, bats are "dead-end hosts" - they do not transmit the virus back to mosquitoes as birds do.

Let nature help
Natural predators that feed on mosquitoes - including bats, birds, fish, and other insects - can play an important role in reducing insect-borne diseases. Although no single approach to mosquito control is appropriate for all locations, encouraging these natural defenses should be an important part of long-term control whenever possible. Quick-fix options, such as wide-scale chemical applications and expensive mosquito-killing machines, are not practical. They often endanger human health and threaten non-target insects and animals. They also, over time, kill far more predators of mosquitoes than mosquitoes, actually aiding mosquito population growth and increasing demands for stronger and more dangerous pesticides.

Consider bat houses
Under the right circumstances, bat houses (artificial structures for bats) can aid our efforts to control mosquitoes. Bats eat huge quantities of insect pests, and some species are fond of mosquitoes. But, like bluebirds and purple martins, bat populations are declining for lack of places to live. You can help bats and reduce the number of insects in your yard by installing bat houses.

Are there reasons for conserving bats?
Most bats are valuable allies, well worth protecting. Worldwide, they are primary predators of vast numbers of insect pests that cost farmers and foresters billions of dollars annually and spread human disease. In the United States, little brown bats often eat mosquitos and can catch up to 1,200 tiny insects in an hour. An average-sized colony of big brown bats can eat enough cucumber beetles to protect farmers from tens of millions of the beetle's rootworm larva each summer. Large colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats eat hundreds of tons of moth pests weekly. Bats play key roles in keeping a wide variety of insect populations in balance. Yet, they rank as North America's most rapidly declining and endangered land mammals. The largest known cause of decline is exaggerated human fear and persecution.

Is it safe to put up bat houses?
Statistically, it's safer than owning a dog or planting flowers. Flowers attract bees whose stings account for far more human fatality than bats. Just banning bicycles or swimming pools would be hundreds of times more effective in saving lives, but how safe do we really want to be?

Which kinds of bats are attracted to bat houses, and what are the risks and benefits?
In the northern United States and Canada, little brown and big brown bats are the most frequent bat house users. No one has been known to have contracted a disease from little brown bats, while only three have been known to have contracted rabies from big brown bats in all of U.S. history. In southern areas, the two most frequent bat house users are twilight bats (Nycticeius humeralis) and Mexican free-tailed bats. The twilight bat has a perfect safety record. Only five humans have been known to have contracted rabies from free-tailed bats, making them far safer than having dogs in a neighborhood. Children should be warned to leave bats alone, just as they learn to leave bees and unfamiliar dogs alone. Bats that live in our yards, in addition to eating pests, serve as natural insect repellents. Many yard pests, especially moths that attack gardens, lawns, and shrubs, can hear bats from over 100 feet away and attempt to avoid them by leaving the area.

Should bats be tolerated or encouraged in our neighborhoods?
There are clear benefits to sharing our neighborhoods with bats, but as with any wild animal, they never should be tolerated inside our living quarters. Most bats that enter living areas are lost youngsters with no greater interest than a safe escape. They can be chased out through an open door or window or caught in a butterfly net, a leather gloved hand, or a coffee can slowly placed over them while a piece of cardboard is slid between the bat and wall. Rabies testing is expensive and unnecessary unless a possible rabies exposure has occurred.
In the vast majority of cases, exclusion of bats from human living quarters is simple, inexpensive, and can be accomplished by the homeowner with minimal instruction. Exclusion of bats from an entire building is also feasible in most cases, though professional advice may be needed. More than 80% of bat colonies living in buildings go undetected by human occupants, but large colonies can cause odor or noise problems that justify exclusion. Many people simply exclude bats from entering living quarters while permitting them to remain in outer walls or in unused attics.

When bats must be entirely excluded from a building, providing an adequate-sized bat house nearby can resolve a nuisance without sending it to a neighbor. Without such an alternative, evicted bats will attempt to move into a neighbor's home, or sicken and die, increasing the probability of being picked up by children or pets.

Are there risks of people overreacting to news of rabies in bats?
Rabies incidents involving bats are often distorted during media reporting. When risks are not kept in perspective, panicked people overreact in ways that increase rather than decrease the risk of rabies. Attempts to poison or exclude bats from buildings by inappropriate methods can dramatically increase human contact, as sick or homeless bats scatter to exposed positions throughout an entire neighborhood.
Efforts to kill or evict bats invariably center on colonial species. Silver-haired bats and eastern pipistrelles, the two bat variances of the rabies virus most implicated in transmission to humans, overlap big and little brown bats in both roosting and feeding behavior. In urban settings, silver-haired bats are apparently less able to compete with the more colonial species and are scarce. When frightened humans declare war on bats, they may actually help these species by reducing their primary competitors.

The public needs to recognize the inescapability and desirability of coexisting with bats, as well as how to minimize contact and associated risks. Collaboration between bat researchers, conservationists, public health and animal control officials is essential to progress.

Additional References
Bats and Rabies: A Public Health Guide, A Special Publication of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1998.
Brass, D. 1994. Rabies in Bats: Natural History and Public Health Implications. Livia Press, Ridgefield, CT, 352 pp

Constantine, D.G. 1988. "Health Precautions for Bat Researchers". Pp. 491-528, Ecological and Behavioral Methods for the Study of Bats, (T.H. Kunz, ed). Washington D.C.:Smithsonian Institution Press, 533 pp.

Tuttle, M.D. 1995. "Saving North America's Beleaguered Bats". National Geographic, 88(2):37-57.

Tuttle, M.D. 1997. America's Neighborhood Bats. Rev. ed. Austin: Univ. of Texas Press, 98 pp.

Link: http://www.batcon.org/home/index.asp...1&idSubPage=62



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[AlumniClub]

Like most mammals, including people, bats have fur, grow up inside their moms, are born live, and nurse milk from their mothers’ bodies. Bats belong to a special group of flying mammals called Chiroptera (Ki-ROP-ter-a). This word is Greek for "hand-wing." Bats actually fly with a modified hand.

Bats--the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
Many people still fear and dislike these winged mammals of the night. Several hundred years ago in Europe, bats were considered evil, dirty, and mysterious. These feelings were passed on through legends.

Today we know that the many myths surrounding bats are false. But, because of these myths, some people still harm bats. In fact, because of human actions, many species have become endangered. Bats play a valuable role in the ecosystem. Worldwide, bats are the most important natural enemies of night-flying insects. In the tropics, bats pollinate flowers and disperse seeds.

The Mega and the Micro

Bats are divided into two main groups, the mega-chiroptera and the micro-chiroptera. The mega-bats, about 150 species, are called fruit bats because many of them eat fruit, nectar, and pollen. They are also called flying foxes because they have big eyes for finding food and they have a face that looks somewhat like a fox.

The micro-bats, all 800 species, are insect eaters. They navigate and hunt by a system called echolocation (EK-oh-lo-Kay-shun). All Wisconsin bats are from this group. Find out more about the 7 Wisconsin bats.

Hello...hello...hello....Echolocation

Although most bats have good daytime vision, insect-eaters depend on their unique bat sonar system during the hours of darkness. This system, called echolocation, helps the bat locate and catch its prey. The bat sends out a steady signal of very short, high-pitched sounds that we can’t hear. It scans the area, turning its head from side to side, sending out sound pulses through its mouth. The sounds bounce off objects and return to the bat as echoes.

As the bat gets closer to an insect, it sends out more squeaks. These sounds continue to bounce back to the bat’s large, sensitive ears until it can tell exactly where the insect is located. Once a bat has zeroed in on its prey, it uses its wings to scoop up the insect.

Do Not Disturb
Many species of bats roost together in large groups (colonies). For some species, there are only a few roosts for all of the individuals of that species. This means that large numbers of a species are vulnerable to the same catastrophe.

Some Wisconsin bat species migrate south for the winter, others hibernate. During the summer, bats store up fat for the winter. When Wisconsin’s weather turns cold, bats look for a place to hibernate until spring. During hibernation, they use their stored energy very slowly. If bats are disturbed, they must use precious energy to warm up, become alert, and search for a new hibernation site. This can cause a bat to use 10 to 30 days worth of fat in a few minutes. If they are disturbed too many times, they run out of stored energy and starve before spring. If you know of a place where bats are hibernating, please don’t disturb.

Fun Fact
A single little brown bat can catch 600 mosquitoes in just one hour.

Adapted from "Little Brown Bat" - A Project Wild in the City Fact Sheet and from EE News-Environmental Education in Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources.

Source: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/...mammal/bat.htm


GB2

[AJE]

Bat Deaths in U.S. Northeast Baffle Experts

A disease called "white nose syndrome" is killing off hibernating bats by the thousands in New York state and Vermont, researchers say. The mysterious syndrome has affected eight hibernation sites in NY and one in Vermont and is called a grave threat.

The ailment—named for the white circles of fungus found around the noses of affected bats—was first noticed last January in four caves west of Albany, New York.

It has now spread to eight bat-hibernation sites in the state and to another site in Vermont.

Alan Hicks, a bat specialist with New York's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), called the quick-spreading disorder the "gravest threat" to bats he had ever seen.

Up to 11,000 bats were found dead last winter, and many more this year are showing signs of illness, Hicks said.

One hard-hit cave went from more than 15,000 bats two years ago to 1,500 now.

"We do not know what the cause is, and we do not know how it was spread, either from cave to cave, or bat to bat," Hicks said. "You have this potential for this huge spread."


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[catwhisperer3000]

Hello,
I Like Bats alot ! I wish I had more by me. We live near a Swamp well Swamps,LOL. Anyway they eat so Many Mosquitoes ! Keep in Mind Mosquitoes that carry Diseases, too. If we didn't have bats we would have Lots more Misquitoes around and More diseases ! I personaly wouldn't mind caring for and releasing babies if I was offered the Chance to help. I hear of people that have them in their attic and call a person to come kill them I wish they wouldn't do that find a better place for them to live. Safe trap them & Move them no problem. I Put up serval Bat Houses in hopes to Having some more come & visit and get Nice & Fat off these Darn Mosquitoes Here ! See the chain of Life ! See how important it is. Learn, Live and Love !
Amanda