Bats Celebrate With The Madman

The bats are coming out – just in time to celebrate Earth Day. Actually, they have been partying since yesterday, April 17. That’s the date of International Bat Appreciation Day.

Look skyward around dusk, and, if you’re lucky like Ann Froschauer from USFWS who took the above photo, you’ll see one or two swooping across the sky. I say if you’re lucky because bats are an important part of our ecosystem. Unfortunately, their numbers are on the decline. The madman says, “If we lose our bats we are in deep trouble.”

Scary Creatures

Most of us shiver when we think of bats. These critters conjure up old wives tales. Bats are dirty. They will give you rabies. They will fly into your hair where they will get suck. And, they suck your blood. Did we give you a case of the heebie-jeebies yet? Relax, none of this is true.

World-wide, there are over 1300 species of this misunderstood creature. They are mammals – actually flying mammals. They don’t paraglide like flying squirrels, they actually fly. And they are not flying rats – they belong to a different order of mammals (Chiroptera not Rodentia). A bat’s wing is made up of a thin membrane called the patagium. It stretches from between the bat’s elongated forefingers, along the body to the hind legs and tail. The bat can deploy its wings when it wants, but at rest, the wings fold against the body.

Bats Do Good Work

Most bats eat insects, they are insectivores. Other bats eat fruit, seeds and pollen – these are frugivores. In more tropical parts of the world, bats are known to eat things like fish, frogs and lizards. Then there are the three types of vampire bats that live in Central and South America. But, thankfully, they don’t feast on human blood and they are a very far distance from us. So, let’s all try to get comfortable with these nocturnal creatures.

In Connecticut we have only insectivores – nine different species in fact and all of them are listed as endangered or in need of special concern. A single bat can eat up to 9,000 insects per year or about 500 per hour. If you want to talk economics, bats save U.S. farmers billions of dollars per year. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), studies have shown that numbers of the insects that bats eat yearly translates to pest-control savings between $3.7 billion to $53 billion, with the actual number closer to $22.9 billion. That’s why the madman says if we lose our bats we’re in trouble. Without the free insect control services that the bats provide, farmers would have to spray more.

Important Species

Many species of bats are considered keystone species. Without their services, ecosystems would be dramatically different or seriously damaged. In the Southwest, the fruit and nectar eating bats provide for pollination and seed dispersal. Around here, our bats are important. That’s because they eat a ton of insects – insects that would otherwise wreak all kinds of havoc on the environment. Their droppings in the roost caves provide nutrients for life in the cave. They are also an important food source for birds of prey like owls and hawks.

Bats come out at night to feed – they are most active in the hours around dusk and dawn. By the time the sun comes up, they have returned to their roosts. Bats roost in dark places – caves, under highway bridges, culverts, barns and even attics. And, because most are social animals, they roost in groups. Group roosting provides an advantage in pup-rearing since they have only one pup per female. I guess they believe that strength is in numbers.

The Bat Cave

In the fall, bats leave their summer roosts and fly to a winter roost in a place like a cave, a mine or a building that scientists call a hibernaculum. The bats choose these locations for their steady above freezing temperatures and high humidity. Thousands of bats can share the same hibernaculum, and one hibernaculum can host several different species. Unfortunately, this sharing is helping to spread the disease that’s killing millions of bats – white-nose syndrome. This disease is caused by a fungus Pseudocymnoascus destructans which colonizes the bat’s skin. Fungi grow best in cool, humid conditions – exactly what you would find in a winter hibernaculum.

White-nose Syndrome

This disease was first identified in North America in 2006 near Albany, N.Y. Bats with White-nose Syndrome are abnormally active during winter hibernation. The activity causes the bat to burn up the fat reserves needed for winter survival and it dies. The fungus spreads rapidly and can kill 70-90% of the bats in a hibernaculum. Since the disease was first discovered, nearly 7 million bats have died.

Researchers feel that one of the prime causes for spread of this disease is spelunking (an SAT word for cave exploration). This disease is often carried on clothing, boots and equipment, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has called for a moratorium on caving activities in affected areas. And, for those who can’t resist the call of the caves, thorough decontamination of all clothing and equipment is strongly recommended.

Earth Day

Remember, we all need to work together to preserve the earth’s natural resources and protect the fragile ecosystems that keep this planet humming along. Isn’t that what Earth Day is all about? Saturday, April 22 marks the 53rd Anniversary of Earth Day. This year’s theme is “Invest in our planet.” Celebrate the day however you want but do something good for the environment.

We usually start our celebration with a cup of hot cocoa, but we may be switching to lemonade this year.