A patio umbrella opens, and a small fuzzy black sock falls out. It’s not a sock! It flaps into flight and tucks itself back into the folds of the umbrella. Bats generally prefer a roosting site in a tree or rock crevice but will sometimes stowaway under the fabric of patio umbrellas, edges of campers, and inside hanging laundry!
Bats have specialized roosting sites. Unlike birds, they do not have strong pectoral muscles. They rely on an initial drop from their perch to gain enough speed to launch into flight. A functional bat box needs to be erected at least twelve feet up, with an uncluttered “runway” for bats to travel. A bat on the ground will need to crawl up a tree or other object to gain enough height for flight.
Bats are the only true flying mammal. Bat pups stay warm by cozying under the flaps of their mother’s wings. Bat reproduction is slow, as often only one pup is born a year. Like all mammals, pups rely on their mother’s milk for the first few weeks of life.
A mother bat will forage at night for food. During flight, a bat’s heart rate can rise as much as one thousand beats per minute. The Little Brown Bat—weighing little more than loonie—eats an average of a thousand insects in an hour.
· Bats provide a pest control service worth billions of dollars to the North American agriculture sector!
Alberta is home to nine species of bat. They have different strategies to cope with the cold and lack of food (bugs) in the winter. Three of these species, the Hoary bat, the Eastern Red Bat, and the Silver-haired Bat migrate south during the winter. This can be a risky journey, especially when flying past the potentially lethal vacuum effects of wind turbines.
The remaining six bat species in Alberta include the big brown bat and five species of myotis, all who hibernate in winter. It is important not to disturb sleeping bats, as waking them wastes energy which can result in starvation. White-nose syndrome is a fungal growth which irritates bats and causes them to wake during hibernation. This does not affect humans but has been causing some bat populations to decline. Please let sleeping bats sleep!
How can we help bats?
· Protect bat roosts that might include snags or tree, old sheds and barns, bat boxes and rock crevices and caves.
· Help preserve wetlands which provide bat food!
· Please don’t disturb hibernating bats!
· Help create a safe place for bats by putting up a bat box!
· Encourage bat friendly farming with reduced pesticide.
· Turn off outside lights during migration season to help bats make a successful journey!
Please do not handle a bat with your bare hands, as some bats carry rabies. Observing wildlife from a distance is best for everyone! If you have contact with a bat, or suspect contact with a bat, please contact your doctor or 8-1-1 for an assessment right away.
See injured or orphaned wildlife? Contact Calgary Wildlife at: 403-214-1312
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