More Bat Myths

Bats are blind.
Wrong! All bats can see. Bats also have a second "sight" mechanism called echolocation. It is a very sophisticated sonar system inaudible to the human ear. The bat emits signals that go in waves. When the sound-waves strike an object, they return to the bat's ear as echoes.

 

Bats suck our blood
Wrong! There are only three species of bats that feed on blood. Vampire bats live in Mexico and Central and South America. There are no vampire bats in the United States. Vampire bats weigh approximately 1¼ ounces. They lap, not suck, small amounts of blood from tiny wounds they make in wild and farm animals. They rarely attempt to feed on humans because human blood is not palatable to them.

 

Bats get entangled in our hair.
Wrong! Bats do not get entangled in human hair. A bat's echolocation is so fine-tuned it can detect the difference between a strand of hair and a gnat! They may, however, fly close to a person when in pursuit of an insect, particularly near water.

 

Bats carry rabies.
Wrong! Like all mammals, bats can contract rabies, but they are not asymptomatic carriers of the virus. When a bat gets rabies, it usually dies.

 

The frequency of rabies in bats is very low. Scientific studies have shown that less than one-half of one percent of bats contract rabies. Infected bats rarely become aggressive; usually, they gradually weaken and die. In some states, there are more rabies-infected cows than bats!

 

Nevertheless, rabies is a serious disease, and left untreated, it is always fatal. Bat rabies is also avoidable. Just do not pick up a bat! All wild animals will bite to protect themselves. If you find a live bat on the ground, it is probably sick or injured. The fact that the bat is grounded does not mean it has rabies, but you should assume it does for your own protection. If you feel you must pick it up, wear leather gloves. Even a bat that appears dead may merely be in torpor and may bite in self-defense when touched.