What really perplexes me is WHY bats get such a bad rap? There are probably more untrue myths about bats than any other animal. As one of my favorite animals, bats are not only cute…but they are also beneficial. While there are many, many different types of bats they all share the trait of being the only mammal that can truly fly. Other things you may not know about bats are:
- They ARE NOT rodents or “flying rats.” Bats are more closely related to dolphins than rodents.
- They are not blind at all although they primarily rely on ecolocation to navigate through the darkness.
- Most bats DO NOT carry rabies. Less than 1/2 or 1% of bats have rabies & when they do, they normally die within 2-3 days.
- Only the vampire bat feeds off blood…they are in Northern South America and Central America, not Florida.
- They DO NOT get tangled in hair.
- There are NO registered bat repellents.
- In Florida, it is illegal to remove bats from a building mid-April through mid-August. Doing so, may kill baby bats in the house and cause many more problems that follow…
- They ARE cuter than all get-up. : )
If you think you have a bat “situation” please call Creepy Creatures to find out how to best deal with them.
To find out more about bats please visit my friends George and Cyndi Marks at www.FloridaBats.org
