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| OFFICIAL U.S. BAT STAMPS |
General Bat Information
Did you know that 25% of all living mammal
species are bats? There are about 4000 species of mammals in the world, and there are over 900 species of bats! Bats
are the only true flying mammal.They range from the small insect-eaters common in the United States to the puppy-size fruit
bats of southeast asia. Of these 900 species, there is only one that drinks blood, and these are located only in the jungles
of central and south america. There are no vampire bats in the United States. Most of the American bats are insectivores,
but a few species in the desert southwest are fruit and nectar eaters.
Bats are the only natural pollinators of the
Agave plant, from which tequila is made. If you love Margaritas, thank the bats!!!
The bat is the official logo of Bacardi Rum. Bacardi donates large amounts of
money to bat-related research projects. The story of how Mrs. Bacardi saw the bats as good fortune for their rum
distillery is an interesting one to read on their home page.
Are we starting to see a pattern between
alcohol consumption and appreciation of bats?
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| Visit the Bacardi website |
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| THUMB AND FINGERS MAKE A WING |
Bats are not rodents. They are members
of the order Chiroptera, from the Greek words meaning "hand wing." The bones of a bat's wing are the bones of their arms and
hands.
Bats are some of the most misunderstood and maligned mammals on earth, yet they do more good than many other
species combined. Bats are nature's best insect pest control, able to consume huge quantities of moths, mosquitoes and other
pests. Many organic farmers are researching and using bats as pest control for crops instead of using pesticides, setting
up bat houses in their crop fields. The corn ear moth larvae are some of the most costly pests for corn farmers and are also
a favorite meal of the Mexican Free-Tail Bat. The use of Free-Tail Bats is now eliminating the use of tons of pesticides in
the corn fields of the U.S., and their droppings are excellent fertilizer. You can actually help promote the use of bats instead
of pesticides by buying organically-grown vegetables.
Bats are very intelligent and they are not blind. Bats see as well as dogs, but since they use their sonar for
hunting prey, vision is just not as important to them as it is to other species. Bat sonar is so highly refined that the U.S.
Navy has been using it as a model for years and has yet to equal its level of sophistication.
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| U.S. NAVY VFN-91 SQUADRON INSIGNIA |
Bat Houses
West End Animal Hospital boasts two bat houses in the center of its parking lot. The smaller house is currently occupied by nearly 1,000 Mexican
Free-Tails and Evening Bats. Built with room to grow, this house can hold up to 1800 bats. In March 2008, we added a second
house that is double the size of the original house, with the hope of attracting many more bats. The public is welcome to
come watch the bats exiting the house at dusk any evening. Bring your camera.
The University
of Florida is the proud owner of the largest bat house in the United States. Originally built in 1990 to house about 100,000
bats, it is becoming overcrowded and another house may be needed soon. This house has now become a tourist attraction and
has educated many people to the benefits of bats and their conservation.
You have to see the size of this house to believe
it!
Really! Go see it!!
West End Animal Hospital volunteers
have been active in rescue and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned UF bats since 1998.
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| University of Florida Bat House |
If
you want to build your own bat house, you need to do some research. Bats are very particular about where they roost, and ideal
structures vary in different parts of the country. The best resource for information on building bat houses is found at Bat Conservation International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving bat colonies throughout the world.
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| PROUD MEMBERS OF BCI |
Bat Rescue and Rehabilitation
While Bat Conservation International focuses
on the critical task of maintaining and establishing colonies of wild bats, there are many small groups of wildlife rehabilitators
who concentrate on saving individual bats that suffer injury or disease as a result of nature or the encroachment of
humans.
West End Animal
Hospital is a federally and state licensed wildlife rescue facility and specializes in bats. Bats are often injured when they
make navigational errors and catch their wings on objects, or baby bats are left orphaned when their mothers are killed. Many
of these individuals are found by people and brought to our facility for medical care. If their conditions are such that they
can eventually be released, we have a large flight cage in the back of the hospital where they can live and be fed while they
regain their strength prior to release. If their injuries are too severe for release, they become permanent residents of West
End. This group of non-releaseable bats can be seen residing in the reception area of the hospital. These bats are available
to educators for presentations.
If you find a bat
and need help and you do not live in the Gainesville area, please go to Local Bat Rescue and find a rehabilitator in your geographical area.
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| West End Flight Cage |
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| BASICALLY BATS MASCOT |
Basically Bats is not truly a rescue
facility, but it can help you get information on many species of bats. It is primarily focused on education and research,
and is currently involved in important nutritional research of insectivorous bats in captivity. It is a good resource for
teaching tools and educational brochures.
The largest and best-known bat rescue
facility is located in Mineral Wells, Texas (near Dallas). Batworld provides care for hundreds of orphaned and injured bats every year, and is
a full-time bat care operation. Its dedicated volunteers are always willing to help in any way possible, and their knowledge
has made it possible for West End to continue a successful rescue program.
Both
Batworld and Basically Bats are non-profit organizations which can always use financial support.
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| BAT CARE WORKSHOP AT BATWORLD |
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| CHRISTMAS AT BATWORLD |
Be bat-friendly!! Ask your local wildlife rehabilitator
how you can help.
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