Vampires, devils, death, and misfortune. In many cultures around the world, bats are portrayed as ominous and hostile. But do you know that bats are actually beneficial to have around? Being mostly active at night and hidden from our view, this misunderstood mammal has been long overlooked.

Bats as Fascinating Creatures                                                                     

In addition to their benefits, bats exhibit fascinating traits and behavior that reveal their complexity.

• Bats are warm-blooded mammals, known for their unique ability to fly. Most navigate using echolocation, but they also have sensitive vision that allows them to see in pitch darkness.

• Many bats are incredibly cooperative and social, especially when it comes to their interactions with non-kin. They can recognize their friends and maintain these relationships for decades, which is remarkable given that some colonies contain over 15 million individuals! Additionally, many bats forage together, sharing strategies, locations, and even resources. For example, vampire bats bring back blood in their stomachs to spit up and share with their friends. A few species have even been documented to engage in allogrooming, allonursing, and communal babysitting. Surprisingly still, there is little evidence of conflicts and dominance hierarchies among female bats in the same colony, which is extremely rare among social mammals. 

• Female bats typically produce one pup a year and invest heavily in caring for this child. In the early weeks after birth, mothers carry their babies while flying, which can be exhausting since pups can weigh as much as one-third of their mother’s weight. Later when the baby bat is able to fly on its own, they will forage together.

• Bats are the longest-living mammals for their size and metabolic rate. Most live about 10-20 years, but some can reach 30 or even over 40 years. In comparison, the average lifespan of house mice is four years. Research has shown that bats' DNA contains genes that suppress cancer, help repair cellular damage, and perform other cellular tasks that contribute to their longevity. Additionally, many hibernating bats have telomeres that do not shorten over their lifetimes, allowing them to age more slowly than other mammals. Their powerful immune systems also play a key role; bats can host numerous deadly viruses to humans without suffering harm. Studying these species could provide valuable insights into human health care and longevity.

What can we do to support bats locally? 

• Keep cats indoors: Consider providing an enclosed outdoor “catio” instead, to protect your pet and wildlife.

• Install a Bat Box: If installed correctly, bat boxes can provide valuable summer roosting sites for bats to raise their young. The addition of bats to your community can also address problems with mosquitoes if present. Although two zoonotic diseases–rabies and histoplasmosis–have been documented in Canadian bats, the percentage of affected bats is very low. As long as direct contact with bats and bat droppings is avoided, the safety risk of having a bat house is far less than the risk of having a dog.

• If you want to purchase one, there are plenty of options from the Urban Nature Store where you can get 15% off on all bat houses & bat kits until Oct 31, 2024.

• If you want to design a bat box of your own, you can learn more on this guidelines by the CWF 

• Join Citizen Science Programs: Participate in initiatives like Neighbourhood Bat Watch, NABat, and EcoSpark’s iNaturalist project. Data from these citizen science programs help scientists draft effective guidelines and policies.

• Advocate for Conservation: Support efforts to protect bats and their habitats.

So, the next time you hear someone dissing bats, stand up for them! Consider supporting these incredible creatures in any way you can. There are countless mysteries about them waiting to be unraveled, and your contribution is crucial in helping scientists piece together the puzzle.

References

Bat Conservation Trust. (2024). Threats to bats - about bats.https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/threats-to-bats 

Bohn, K. M., Moss, C. F., & Wilkinson, G. S. (2009). Pup guarding by greater spear-nosed bats. https://science.umd.edu/faculty/wilkinson/BohnBES09.pdf

Celley, C. (2024, October 3). Bats are one of the most important misunderstood animals: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. FWS.gov. https://www.fws.gov/story/bats-are-one-most-important-misunderstood-animals#:~:text=A%20third%20bat%20food%20source,growth%20in%20recently%20cleared%20rainforest.

Harper, R. (2024, June 24). Long live bats!. Bat Conservation International. https://www.batcon.org/long-live-bats-2/ 

Fleming, T. H., Geiselman, C., & Kress, W. J. (2009, November). The evolution of bat pollination: A phylogenetic perspective. Annals of botany. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2766192/

Gerald Kerth, Causes and Consequences of Sociality in Bats, BioScience, Volume 58, Issue 8, September 2008, Pages 737–746, https://doi.org/10.1641/B580810

Government of Canada Parks Canada Agency. (2024, July 16). Making life better for bats and people in Canada. Nature and science. https://parks.canada.ca/nature/science/especes-species/chauve-souris-canada-bats#

National Parks Service. (2016). Wind energy. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bats/wind-energy.htm

National Parks Service. (2017). What is white-nose syndrome? (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-white-nose-syndrome.htm

National Parks Service. (2017). Climate change. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bats/climate-change.htm 

Pagé, J. (2024). The impact of wind energy on bat species in Canada and possible mitigation strategies. Your Connection to Wildlife. https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/the-impact-of-wind-energy-on-bat-species-in-canada-and-possible-mitigation-strategies/#:~:text=The%20link%20between%20bat%20mortality,late%20summer%20and%20early%20fall. 

Paulter, D. S. and P. (2024, September 6). Bat guide. ON Nature Magazine. https://onnaturemagazine.com/bat-guide.html

McPherson, L. (2022). Summer living with bats. MDIFW Blog. https://www.maine.gov/ifw/blogs/mdifw-blog/summer-living-bats#:~:text=Mother%20bats%20often%20carry%20their,mother’s%20body%20weight%20when%20born.

Spahich, N. (2024). The evolution of bats’ super immunity. The Scientist Magazine®. https://www.the-scientist.com/the-evolution-of-bats-super-immunity-71555 

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2021, October 20). 13 awesome facts about bats.https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats 

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, & Canadian Wildlife Federation. (2023). Canadian bat box project newsletter, October 2023. Canadian Bat Box Project Newsletter, October 2023. https://wcsbats.ca/Portals/211/Canadian Bat Box Project Newsletter Fall 2023.pdf