GOING BATTY
There are an estimated 1,100 species of bats worldwide, accounting for about 20% of all mammal species. About 13 species of bats call Florida home. Bats can be seen during the evening hours usually around bodies of water, forest edges, along buildings and around light. During the day they seek shelter in dark, secluded places. These ‘roosts’ can be found in buildings, caves, crevices and even tree branches.

Bats eat a variety of foods including: fish, mice, lizards, insects, blood, fruit and nectar. All of the bats residing in Florida eat insects. Some bats use echolocation in addition to their other senses to capture their prey in complete darkness. They can capture small prey in mid-flight, while landing for larger prey. Because most species of bats eat insects, they are considered the best natural controller of insect populations.

Colony of the Mouse-eared bat Photo taken in Walchsee, Tirol, Austria

COME FLY WITH ME
Contrary to popular opinion bats are not flying rodents, but belong to the order Chrioptera which is Latin for ‘hand wing’. The wings of bats are actually modified forelimbs. The bones of the hand and fingers are elongated and a membrane stretches between the fingers, hand and body. This serves to support and move the wing while in flight. The hind limbs of bats are modified as well for landing and hanging upside-down.

BATS AND DISEASE
Because bats travel long distances, live in large social groups and have close evolutionary ties to humans these creatures are susceptible to carrying many diseases that can be passed on to humans. These diseases include: rabies, SARS, West Nile virus and possibly ebola virus. Most bats have a high tolerance for carrying these diseases and often do not suffer any ill effects.

While many people associate bats with the spread of rabies, only about 0.5% of bats actually carry rabies. Most of the U.S. cases of rabies reported each year are caused by bat bites. One sign that a bat may have rabies is behavior; they may seem disoriented or clumsy, possibly even unable to fly.

Bats are amazing creatures that stir up a lot of curiosity. However, as with any wild animal, precaution and respect are very important. Even though the chance of infection is slim, bats should never be handled by anyone who is not a trained professional.

Resources for this article have been provided by Wikipedia and the Bat Conservation International