7 Interesting Facts About Bats

Bats are some of the most interesting and unique nuisance animals around. They are capable of getting into the smallest of holes, consuming tons of insects, and spreading many diseases. Find out more about these fascinating critters.

Bats Use Echolocation

There are many different species of bats, some of which are only active at night. Those that are active at night are able to fly around and find their insect prey using echolocation. Echolocation works somewhat similarly to the way a radar works, as the sound the bats emit bounces off of objects and the bats can hear the echoes. Bats are one of the very few animals on Earth that use this unique capability.

Many Bats Are Endangered

In the United States and Canada, there are many different species of bats that are experiencing endangered numbers or that have populations in a big deficit. This is due to a couple of main factors. One is the expansion of cities and urban sprawl, as it takes more of the bats? natural habitat. In addition, there are many diseases that are causing serious problems and wiping out large numbers of bats in North American colonies.

Guano Is Big Business

Guano, a term used for bat droppings, is loaded with tons of nutrients and other chemical compounds that make it a great component for fertilizers. While the days of massive amounts of money being made on guano may be gone, it is still a very viable option for use in many different fertilizers. Particularly in developing nations, guano is still being mined and used for small-scale fertilizing and sale.

Bats Can Be Killed by Removal

Bats are one of Nature's most important components in many different ecosystems, as they consume many thousands of insects that are harmful to humans and their property, such as mosquitoes, moths, and flies. When bats are removed by homeowners and other untrained people, they are very likely to die from the stress of their experience. That is why it is recommended to hire a professional wildlife removal company to perform the service for you. For a bat removal, reach out to Wildlife X Team Oklahoma City, as these experts not only remove bats, but can perform exclusion services to keep these critters out for good! Hiring a professional wildlife removal service will keep bats and your local ecosystem happy, all while keeping you and your family safe during the removal process.

Few Animals Harm Bats

Bats are one of the few animals that has very few predators that hunt them and harm them. The main animals that kill bats in the wild are snakes, hawks, and owls, and that is about it. Sometimes insects can crawl onto bats while they are roosting and infect them with various diseases, though there is one disease that is wrecking bat populations. This disease is called white nose syndrome, and it is a fungal infection that is killing large populations of bat colonies, causing great concern.

Bats Live Long Lives

While it might be surprising, bats can live for a very long time compared to many similar animals. While the general rule of thumb is the smaller an animal, the sooner it will die, bats spit directly in the face of this rule! Many bats live for over 10 years, with some living into their 30's and 40's! This is likely due to the fact that bats do not contend with many natural predators, as mentioned earlier. In certain areas that remain disease-free, bats are able to live much longer than bats in the areas impacted by disease. Due to the conservation efforts taking place, many bats are living much longer thanks to a decrease in disease and death.

There Are Tons of Species

The bat is one of the few animals that has many subspecies that make up its ranks. There are over 1,400 bat species located around the world, and each of them is unique in different ways. There are bats that are slightly larger than a bumblebee, as well as bats that have a wingspan of six feet! That type of contrast in nature between subspecies is rare, but it is so incredibly fascinating. It is just one more reason bats are so interesting.