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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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