BATS ARE OUR FRIENDS!

Bats are great, indeed! Not only are the winged mammals super cute, they help us humans out in many ways. Without bats, no one would pollinate our avocados, mangoes, or bananas. Bat colonies also consume thousands of mosquitoes and other pests every night, lessening the need for pesticides and bug spray. Bats that consume fruit are the main method those fruits use to spread their seeds. Bats are our friends, but people don’t always know that. We need to spread the word that bats are nothing to be afraid of, and we definitely shouldn’t be trying to get rid of them. This is the perfect time to act! It’s Bat Week and tomorrow is Halloween. We want everyone talking about bats and spreading the word on how cool and important they are. Did you know some species of bats go into a state of regulated hypothermia during the winter where they don’t move and can stay in that state for months? Its so unique that scientists were able to make developments in low-temperature surgery by studying the bats’ behavior. Do you want to learn more about bats? Check out this Fact Sheet. You may have heard the saying blind as a bat, but bats are actually incredibly aware of the environment around them. By using echolocation, they bounce sounds off the objects around them, creating a three-dimensional picture in their brain. Its so precise some bats use it to hunt for flying insects – at night. Studying the echolocation in bats has led to advancements in the ways visually impaired people can navigate. Check this video. So be sure to tell everyone you know about how important bats are, and please follow some of the suggestions in our email for protecting bats, provided by the Fish and Wildlife Service.