MYTHS

• Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind, they have superior vision.
• Bats are NOT related to rodents; they are closely related to monkeys and the Old World fruit bats may soon be reclassified as primates. Bats have their own scientific classification, Chiropteran (meaning hand-wing).
• No bat sucks blood- vampire bats lap blood (see section on vampires).
• Bats do not attack people, even a sick bat will not attack, IF it is left alone.
• Bats do not multiply like rabbits, they give birth to a single young per year.
• Bats do not get tangled in hair. They are too intelligent to get tangled in anything let alone your hair. Bats can detect an object as fine as a human hair using echolocation.
• Bats are exceptionally clean – grooming 8 hours each day.

RABIES

• Less than ½ of 1% of bats ever CONTRACT rabies; bats are NOT carriers they simply contract the virus the same way you or I or a dog or cat or horse or cow might contract it.
• How the virus works
• Grounded bats – not all grounded bats are sick as the media would have you believe. It may be a very young bat that became dehydrated or a very old bat that became exhausted in his journey back from winter migration or an injured bat. There are a number of reasons why a bat may be grounded.
• Protect yourself, protect them, wear gloves.

IDENTIFICATION

• Little Brown Bat: L: 2.4–4.0” WS: 9–11” WT: 0.2–0.5 oz. Glossy pale tan to dark brown; evenly colored. Ears small, pointed, and black; nose slightly pointed; long hairs on toes. Flies low, 10-20 ft; erratic flight.
• Big Brown Bat: L: 3.5-5.5” WS: 13-16” WT: 0.4-0.8 oz. Color varies light to dark brown. Ears and nose rounded. Wings, tail, ears, and nose lack fur, and are very dark. Flight is straight, steady, at 20-30 ft; slow wing beat.
• Eastern Red Bat: L: 3.6-4.6” WS: 11-13” WT: 0.2-0.6 oz. Bright orange-brown to reddish-brown; white on chest. Tail is furred. Long pointed wings. Low flight is swift; high flight fluttery.
• Tri colored Bat: L: 3.0-3.6” WS: 8-10” WT: 0.2-0.4 oz. Tri colored fur: base dark, middle lighter, tip dark. Color varies: pale yellow to silver gray to golden brown to black. Flight erratic, slow and weak, like a large moth
• Northern Myotis: L: 3.2-3.8” WS: 9-11” WT: 0.2-0.4 oz. Pale to dark brown fur. Ears very large. Ears, wings and tail almost black. Flies mostly in forest.
• Silver-haired Bat: L: 3.6-4.6” WS: 11-13” WT: 0.3-0.4 oz. Black with silver tipped fur, especially on back. Wings bare. Tail has light fur near body. Slow flying; looks like large moth.
• Hoary Bat: L: 5.1-5.9” WS: 13-16” WT: 0.7-1.2 oz. Blackish brown or S at base of fur; tips are white. Tail is furred; ears short and round. Flight is swift and direct; not maneuverable. Large size is noticeable.
• Evening Bat: L: 3.3-3.9” WS: 10-11” WT: 0.2-0.4 oz. Dark brown fur. Ears short; ears, wings and tail black. Medium to fast erratic flight.
• Indiana Bat: L: 2.9-3.9” WS: 9-11” WT: 0.1-0.4 oz. Dark gray to dark brown, almost black; dull fur. Ears, wings and tail pinkish. Direct flight at 40ft. around trees.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION