A bat is a mammal that belongs to the placental mammals, a species of chiroptera, and is rightfully considered the most mysterious animal. On the one hand, the bat is the only mammal that can move through the air; Based on this ability, they claimed that it was a bird. But, on the other hand, they are viviparous; they feed their young with milk, which birds do not do.
The nocturnal lifestyle of these animals and their frightening appearance have created many legends around them, and some are absolutely convinced that the small animals sleeping in secluded places upside down are real vampires who hunt people and animals to drink their blood. Not everything in these legends is fiction.
Origin of the name bat
The name “bat” itself appeared in Russian only at the beginning of the 17th century, thanks to the translation of a German book. This literary variant caught on, and this is how the animals of the order Chiroptera began to be called.
In Russia, other names were also found: pipistrelle, kozhan, noctule, nocturnal bat, horseshoe bat, long eared bat, arrow-eared bat, tubebill and others. All reflect the external characteristics of these mammals or the features of their way of life.
The same thing is observed in the modern name. Animals that have no family connection with the order of rodents closely resemble them in appearance. And the sound of a bat is similar to the squeak of rodents, and the ability to fly adds a definition that has become the name of the order Chiroptera.
What do bats look like?
It is believed that every fourth mammal on earth belongs to the order Chiroptera. Despite the species differences, they all have common external features.
Wings
The main distinguishing feature of these animals is their wings. It was precisely because of its presence that the debate continued for a long time: a bat is still a bird or an animal.
The wings are thin membranes that are stretched between the fore and hind limbs. Unlike birds, bats do not have feathers, and membranes are attached to the very long fingers of the forelimbs.
The wingspan, depending on the type, can vary from 16 cm to 1.5 m. Despite their apparent fragility, they are able to withstand significant loads and reach flight speeds of up to 20 km/h.
Flight is not the only purpose of wings. During sleep, bats wrap themselves in them, and thus retain their warmth.
Bat Skeleton
The animals' body is relatively small: the spine is much shorter than the modified forelimbs with five fingers with sharp claws. The animal does not have strong limbs, the humerus are shortened, so its movement on the ground is minimal, the main thing for them is flight.
The skull is round in shape with a shortened anterior part in some species and an elongated one in others. If you look at bats, the body is practically invisible. They appear to consist of a head and wings.
Animals have a tail that is not covered with hair. For most, it serves as a device for maneuvers during flight.
Ears
Ears play an important role in the life of an animal that does not have acute vision. In almost all species they are of enormous size.
Numerous networks of blood vessels nourish the ears, since their participation in the life of bats provides them with the ability to move and hunt.
Animals make subtle sounds that bounce off objects and return. This method of orientation in the world is called echolocation. The ability to quickly catch even the quietest sounds helps bats fly at night and hear the movement of potential prey.
Disturbances in the functioning of the hearing organs most often lead to the death of the animal.
Eyes
Chiropterans are nocturnal, which in the process of evolution also affected their vision. In almost all species, small eyes are located in the front part of the muzzle.
The animals of this detachment see everything in black and white. Since the bat sleeps in shelters during the day, its eyes react very poorly to sunlight.
But these animals also have their exceptions. Thus, the California leaf-nosed bat sometimes relies more on sight than hearing when hunting.
If a bat lives as a pet, then you have noticed that it rarely flies into a room in which the light is on, and to catch it, it is enough to turn on the light bulb, and the animal immediately stops flying.
Teeth
Absolutely all chiropterans have teeth: in the jaw you can see incisors, molars and premolars, and fangs. But their number, size and structure depend solely on what bats eat in their natural environment.
Those bats whose diet consists of insects have up to 38 teeth, and the length of their fangs can also vary. Blood-sucking mice typically have a jaw of 20 teeth, and they are not as large or developed as those of their insectivorous counterparts.
The shape of the teeth is adapted to what bats eat in the wild. So, in insectivorous animals, the teeth resemble mortars that grind rough food. But only those who feed on blood have long fangs.
Wool
Most species of bats have a dull color: brown, gray, dark gray. This is due to the need to remain unnoticed during night hunting. But even among these animals there are real fashionistas: the species of Mexican piscivores has bright orange or yellow fur. There are bats in shades that include light tones: fawn, light yellow.
The Honduran white bat boasts a white coat and bright yellow ears and nose.
The quality of the coating may also vary. There are animals with thick and sparse fur, long and short hair.
Echolocation
In the pitch darkness of the caves, there is not enough light for even the most sensitive retina, so their inhabitants do not need acute vision. The animals make their way in the night using an echolocator. This is an amazing result of evolution, which, apparently, appeared relatively recently and continues to be improved. The ancestors of bats had ordinary faces. Modern leafnoses, folded lips and the like have “decorated” their heads with outgrowths that are very reminiscent of the bowls of receiving antennas.
A flying mouse makes frequent clicks at frequencies of 80-130 kHz and uses its huge sensitive ears to catch echoes from surrounding objects. Periodically, the frequency drops to approximately 30-40 kHz, this “squeak” can be heard by people, especially children and musicians. When pursuing prey, the sounds of the locator merge into a continuous squeal, and in a calm flight the animal “ticks” rhythmically. Some mice emit ultrasonic “screams” that have decibel levels comparable to the roar of jet turbines. People, fortunately, do not hear them. The screamers themselves cover their ears with special valves so as not to go deaf.
The bat's brain is large and convoluted. He has a lot of work: in flight, he needs to analyze multiple echoes and create a “3D model” of the surrounding area. Calculate the speed and direction of movement - your own and prey, the distance to obstacles, their size, etc. Vegetarian fruit bats are not very good at echolocation, but they don’t need it: fruits won’t run away anywhere...
Types of bats (insectivores and herbivores)
Studying the life of bats is complicated by their secrecy, but scientists have been able to establish that currently about 700 species of these animals have been recorded. We will tell you about some of them in more detail.
Two-tone leather
The habitat of representatives of this species is almost all countries of Eurasia. You can also find it on the territory of Russia, from Southern Siberia to the western borders. They live in mountains, forests, and steppes. Some animals of this species easily inhabit even the attics of houses in large cities.
The body length of these bats is up to 6.5 cm, and the wingspan is 33 cm. Moreover, they weigh up to 23 grams. These dimensions allow us to say that the two-color leather is a fairly large bat.
The original coloring of the animal determined its name: the ears, muzzle and wings are almost black, the back is dark brown, and the belly is light gray or white.
Two-color leatherbacks feed on nocturnal insects.
Giant noctule
These bats live in the European part. The giant noctule is the largest bat living in Russia. Its body length reaches 11 cm, weight – 70-80 grams, and wingspan – 45-50 cm.
The animal does not have a bright color: they are usually brown or reddish-brown, the belly is noticeably lighter than the back. But it is quite difficult not to notice the flight of these creatures, since their size is impressive.
Observing the life of the noctule bat, it was established that these bats eat large insects. In Russia they prefer beetles and butterflies.
They most often settle in hollow trees. Since low temperatures are possible in their habitats, animals migrate during the cold season, choosing warmer regions.
White leaf-nosed bat
The white bat got its name for its original appearance: their fur is white with slight gray patches on the abdomen. But the nose and ears of representatives of this species are bright yellow, and their shape resembles leaves. It seems that the animal has stuck autumn leaves on itself.
This is one of the small representatives of bats: the body size is no more than 4-5 cm, and the weight is only 7 grams. It is so small that sometimes it seems like it is a bird.
This white miracle lives in South and Central America, Honduras, and Panama. To live, they choose evergreen forests, where they always find food - ficuses and fruits.
The original appearance of the animal attracts attention, so the bat at home is becoming more and more common.
Hog-nosed bat
Representatives of this species are rightfully considered the smallest: their weight does not exceed 2 grams, their body length is 3-5 cm. Sometimes they are confused with bumblebees.
They got their name from their original nose, reminiscent of a pig's snout. The usual color is dark brown, sometimes grayish-brown. The fur on the belly is a lighter shade.
The pig-nosed bat lives in the southwest of Thailand and on some nearby islands. They are not common in other places, so they are rightfully considered endemic to the area.
A special feature of these animals is their cooperative hunting: they usually gather in small flocks and fly out together in search of small insects.
Small bats are difficult to see with the naked eye, making their lives very difficult to observe.
The limited habitat has made the population of these animals extremely small. Currently this species is listed in the Red Book.
Great harelip
These animals live in the territory from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, as well as the Bahamas and Antilles.
The great harelip is a large bat: its weight sometimes reaches 80 grams, its body size is up to 13.5 cm.
The animals have an interesting coloring feature: males are bright red, sometimes even fiery red, but females are very faded, grayish-brown.
These bats received their second name - fish-eating bat - due to their feeding habits. Animals prefer to live near bodies of water. Scientists have found that the harelip eats not only insects, like many chiropterans, but also small fish, small crayfish and frogs.
By the way, they can also fly out to hunt, unlike many representatives of their squad, during the day.
Water bat
The life of representatives of this species was described in detail by the French scientist Daubanton. It was in honor of him that these animals received their second name - Dobanton's bats.
Relatively small animals (weight up to 15 grams, wingspan - no more than 27 cm, and body length - 5.5 cm) prefer to hunt near bodies of water, preferring mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects as food.
Small-sized bats have a fairly wide habitat: in Russia they can be found in the lower reaches of the Volga, in the Ussuri Territory, on Sakhalin, Kamchatka, in the Primorsky Territory; They also live in other countries: Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Italy.
Unprepossessing in appearance (usually their fur is dark brown), they are excellent hunters, destroying entire hordes of insects.
The decline in the population of water bats contributes to the spread of livestock diseases transmitted through insect bites.
Brown long-eared bat
The most noticeable part of these bats is their huge ears. With a weight of no more than 12 grams and a body size of 5 cm, the ears are sometimes larger than the body. But they cannot boast of their original coloring: their gray-brown fur is very inconspicuous.
Long-eared bats are found in almost all countries of Eurasia, northern Africa, and China.
They adapt almost any place for their homes: caves, buildings, trees. Most often they fly away to warmer regions for the winter, but they always return to their old homes.
Huge ears allow her to hunt even in complete darkness.
Dwarf pipistrelle
It is rightfully considered the smallest representative of the order of bats living in Europe. Its body is up to 4 cm long and weighs 6 g. Representatives of this species have a fairly long tail - up to 3.5 cm.
The color of the animal depends on the region where it lives: in animals living in Asia, it is pale, grayish; in Europeans it is brown.
Bats settle near human habitation, often choosing the attics of houses and barns.
Representatives of this species prefer small insects as food, which helps a lot by exterminating thousands of mosquitoes and midges.
The danger of “neighborhood” with a person
Bats are difficult to classify as pests. They feed on insects and live in hard-to-reach places. Flyers have virtually no contact with humans, but at the same time bring significant benefits. By destroying insects, they protect crops from attack by pests. And by eating midges and mosquitoes, they protect people from unpleasant and painful bites.
But if these valuable “helpers” settle next to the apartment, they can seriously disturb not only the peace, but also cause significant harm.
Human activity has led to a rapid decline in the bat population. Therefore, many species were listed in the Red Book and are protected by law.
Types of bats (blood-sucking)
Observing representatives of the order Chiroptera, we found out that in the wild the bat eats not only insects and plants. Among these animals there are also those that feed on blood.
Common Vampire
A very numerous species has spread the opinion of bats as vampires, capable of drinking all the blood from an animal or a person. Another name is big bloodsucker. The enzyme contained in the saliva of these animals can be quite dangerous: it affects blood clotting. Even a minor wound can cause major blood loss. And if several dozen bloodsuckers attack during the night, then death is inevitable.
This not very large bat (weight no more than 50 grams, and a wingspan of up to 20 cm) spends the entire day sleeping upside down in its shelter in the large company of its fellows, and at nightfall it flies out to hunt. She chooses her prey among sleeping animals, especially prefers cattle - they cannot resist. Choosing a place on the body near the blood vessels, the animal bites and licks the blood, which easily flows out of the wound.
A person can also be attacked by ordinary vampires if he spends the night in places accessible to these bats.
The habitat of this species is South and Central America.
White-winged vampire
A representative of this species has average dimensions for chiropterans: body length is up to 11 cm, weight is up to 40 grams, and the wingspan is up to 40 cm.
Like the common vampire, the white-winged one lives in South and Central America. Its fur has a reddish-brown tint, somewhat lighter on the belly.
The white-winged vampire attacks birds; it is their blood that is the animal’s diet.
Hairy Vampire
It lives in the same places as its brothers that feed on blood. But representatives of this species can easily attack both birds and animals.
Unlike other bats, the bushy-footed vampire does not have well-developed hearing, so in its flights it relies not so much on the usual echolocation as on vision.
Their grayish-brown color and small size allow them to approach their victims unnoticed.
Many researchers have noted that hairy-legged vampires are absolutely not afraid of people: they can fly very close, practically sitting on their hands.
Bats are often frightened by being called blood-sucking and dangerous, but out of all the variety of species, only three actually drink blood.
Lifestyle and character traits
Almost all species are crepuscular or nocturnal. But in the natural environment there are species that can be active during the day.
Lifestyle
Some species of bats prefer a solitary lifestyle or gather in groups of 4–7 individuals.
But most species live in colonies and often combine with other species to form large settlements.
Females of the great bat gather in colonies of a thousand or more white individuals. It is noteworthy that there are practically no males in this group, as they prefer to stay alone. The largest colonies of bats are recorded in Brazil. Scientists managed to find a record number of individuals in one of the caves. Brazilian folded lips have gathered into a colony of 20 million individuals.
Bats prefer to sleep in a secluded shelter during the day. For their days, they choose caves, crevices, old hollows in trees, abandoned adits and quarries. Mice are not afraid of people and often live in barns, attics and other buildings.
Small species hide in cracks, climb under bird nests or under the bark of trees.
In some species, daytime shelters are located in rather original places. For example, in a spider's web or in an empty bamboo trunk. American suckerfoots shelter from sunlight in rolled banana leaves, and construction leaf-noses nibble on palm leaves to build a canopy.
Character and habits
Bats do not quarrel with each other and do not start fights for food and territory. Even different species can safely share one shelter.
During sleep and hibernation, mice hang upside down, clinging to any unevenness with their hind limbs.
Some species, such as night bats, when resting, wrap themselves in their wings and try to press closer to each other. Others, on the contrary, try to sleep away from their brothers.
Surprisingly, if during winter sleep a mouse falls from its place for some reason, it will simply freeze.
Although in wintering caves the temperature drops below zero, individuals hanging upside down calmly tolerate sub-zero temperatures.
Question to the expert
How do bats winter? Do they hibernate?
Only those mice that live in temperate latitudes hibernate. They gather in groups and press their bodies closely against each other. During winter sleep, metabolism and biological processes slow down so much that the fliers can be mistaken for dead. Some species do not hibernate, but migrate like birds to warmer climates. Tropical species do not hibernate and lead a normal lifestyle.
Where do bats live?
If we talk about the territories where bats live, then we need to list the entire planet. The only exceptions are areas of tundra and land covered with ice. In these natural conditions, the life of bats is impossible. These animals are not found on some remote islands because they simply could not get there.
The bat is a rare mammal that can exist in almost any place where there is at least some opportunity for shelter during the day.
Representatives of this order can be found in all other corners of the globe. Even in large cities, in the attics of high-rise buildings, bats find shelter.
In nature, bats prefer to settle in caves, where, clinging to ledges, they sleep during the daytime, and at dusk they fly out to hunt. There are caves in which thousands of bat colonies live. Sometimes the height of the layer of excrement in them reaches a meter, which indicates the number of animals and the duration of their stay in this place.
Where there is no natural shelter, these animals are located in trees, hiding between the branches. Sometimes they occupy abandoned hollows, can build themselves shelters from large leaves, gnaw through bamboo trunks, and even settle between the fruits of plants. The main requirements for their house, where the bat sleeps all day, are safety and absence of direct sunlight.
These animals are not at all afraid of people, so they calmly settle in the attics of houses, barns, and livestock buildings.
Sometimes people, not knowing what bats eat in the wild, believe that they can be dangerous to humans and domestic animals. Therefore, when they find these animals in their attic or barn, they try to exterminate them. Most bats eat insects and are therefore absolutely safe.
Lifestyle of bats
Bats most often live in colonies, which can number several tens of thousands of individuals. Some species huddle in groups during the day, while others prefer to hang upside down in splendid isolation.
A record number of individuals in one colony was counted in Brazil. In one place there was a refuge for 20 million individuals.
Living together does not make these animals gregarious, since they do not carry out any joint actions: they hunt exclusively alone.
Bats do not create families. Uniting only at the moment of mating, they immediately forget about each other.
In regions where there are cold seasons, animals can hibernate, which lasts up to 8 months. At this time, the bats wrap themselves in their wings, attach themselves upside down in some secluded place and sleep without feeding.
Some species are capable of seasonal migrations. With the onset of cold weather, they fly to warmer regions. Sometimes during this period bats travel distances of up to 1000 kilometers.
If natural conditions allow, animals remain active all year round.
Where do they spend the winter?
In the winter months, when there is a complete lack of food supply, some bats migrate south, and the majority fall into a state of suspended animation (evening bats, bats, bats, bats).
During hibernation, the bat's body temperature drops to 1-3 degrees, and the heartbeat and breathing slow down significantly.
Before wintering, mice accumulate fat, which accumulates in the upper back. They look for shelter in caves, tree hollows, and under the roofs of houses. The time at which bats hibernate depends on the region and climate conditions. The duration of hibernation ranges from 3 to 8 months.
How long do bats live?
An interesting question remains: how many years do bats live in nature? Average life expectancy is 5 years. How long bats live depends on the species. Among these animals there are also long-livers, whose age can reach up to 20 years.
The longest-living record holder among bats is 33 years old.
A bat at home usually lives less than the time allotted to it by nature, since it does not have the opportunity to be fully active.
Folk signs associated with “bloodsuckers”
Bats have always been associated with otherworldly forces, so many signs and superstitions are associated with the animals.
Even if the thought of possible troubles does not leave your head, do not kill the uninvited guest. Carefully help her get out of the house, remembering to protect her hands and body from a possible bite. While you are sending the “visitor” away, read a prayer. Healers assure that such simple actions will completely protect against harm.
How do bats reproduce?
The reproduction of bats has its own characteristics. Some species living in warm climates give birth to young twice a year. The mating period does not matter to them. The secretive way of life of bats does not allow us to accurately imagine how the process of courtship between a male and a female takes place.
Males of some species make a variety of sounds before mating. Perhaps they use this song to attract the female or tell her about their intentions.
Those animals that live in temperate latitudes bear offspring only once. Usually mating occurs in the fall, until the moment when the animals go into hibernation. But the sperm that enter the female’s body do not immediately fertilize the egg, but may remain in some kind of reserve until the moment of awakening.
After hibernation, pregnancy begins, the duration of which depends on both the species and the ambient temperature: at low temperatures, the baby takes longer to develop.
Usually females give birth to one cub, less often two or three. During birth, the mouse turns head up. The baby is born feet first, which is extremely rare in mammals, and immediately goes into the tail pouch, where it spends a week. Afterwards, they hide the babies in shelters and feed them milk. It was this ability of bats that decided the debate: is a bat a mammal or not, in favor of classifying them as mammals.
In the first week, the female takes her cub with her on night hunts. He holds tightly to his mother during the flight. But after a while she is forced to leave him in the shelter, because the baby becomes heavy, and she cannot fly with him for a long time.
A unique sense of smell allows these animals to find their young after flying at night. They can smell the baby's scent from several kilometers away.
For a week, and sometimes two, the kids remain completely helpless, and only after a month they begin to hunt independently near their shelter, without moving far from it.
Reproduction and offspring
The characteristics of the reproduction process of these mammals depend on the species, as well as natural habitats.
For example:
- Smooth-nosed bats give birth to no more than 4 pups each year.
- Long-eared cats reproduce no more than 2 cubs.
- The “flying fox” reproduces offspring in the amount of 1 cub.
Important point! Only the bulldog bat gives birth about three times annually, with only 1 baby being born at a time.
Most species, as well as subspecies, do not have a high reproduction rate, since the female gives birth to only one calf in one year.
What does a bat eat and how does it hunt in the wild?
Almost all bats fly out to hunt at dusk or after sunset. The thing is that their vision is much less developed than their hearing. Most bats feed on flying insects. They hear their movements and pick up prey on the fly or find it among the foliage.
There are animals that feast exclusively on the nectar of flowers and the fruits of fruit trees.
Some large species also eat earthworms and large insects.
Among the chiropterans there is a bat, whose diet includes frogs and small fish, in addition to insects. The animals fly above the surface of the water and determine by the splash where potential prey is located.
But there are only three species of bloodsuckers, and they live in South and Central America. They fly out to hunt at night, find animals, bite and lick the blood.
Enemies of bats
Bats do not have many enemies in nature, although the animals are very small in size. This is most likely due to the fact that their nocturnal lifestyle does not give them the opportunity to intersect in nature with many animals that are active during the day. They camouflage their shelters well or live in large colonies, which can be quite scary for many animals and birds to penetrate.
Those bats that fly out to hunt at twilight (for example, noctule bats) more often become prey for daytime birds of prey (hawks, hobbies, peregrine falcons), which happily feed on these bats.
But nocturnal birds of prey (owls and owls) quite often attack bats, although hunting them is very difficult: developed echolocation allows you to notice danger and dodge deadly claws and beaks.
Scientists from one of the American institutes noticed an interesting fact: bats living in the caves of one of the mountain ranges of Hungary are attacked by common tits. Brave birds fly into the caves, grab the sleeping animal and take it to their nest. Birds rarely fly up to colonies, since the number of bats can pose a mortal danger to them.
In those latitudes where many tree snakes live, the bats hiding in the branches have a hard time. During the day, animals, as a rule, sleep in shelters and are not always able to react to an approaching creeping enemy. And they practically cannot fly in sunlight, so they become victims of those snakes who can eat small bats.
Chiropterans, especially small individuals and species, often fall into the clutches of spiders. They cannot see a stretched web in the dark; in this case, echolocation does not always help. But chiropterans can hear an insect beating in a web. Sometimes large spiders that feed on small animals do not specifically kill insect prey in order to catch a larger one - a bat.
Sometimes bats become food for larger predators - weasels, polecats and martens, which sneak up on sleeping animals and kill them.
But the most important enemy is man. Sometimes people destroy entire colonies of bats just because they mistakenly consider them dangerous. Although the animals bring a lot of benefits by destroying insects that carry the infection.
It happens that a person does not intend to kill bats. Some fertilizers or pesticides are harmful to flying animals.
It seems incredible that people also eat bats. In many Asian countries, the meat of these animals is considered a delicacy.
Ways to drive away animals
Regardless of whether you are faced with a single uninvited guest or are trying to conquer your own attic from bats, do not forget that these animals can be listed in the Red Book. Therefore, chemical or folk poisons have no place here. You must create such conditions so that the “guests” fly out of the apartment on their own.
Random guest
If you encounter a flying animal in your room, do not panic. The random guest is very confused herself. Finding herself in an unfamiliar environment, she will try to find a way out. And you need to help her a little. Follow three steps to remove a bat from your home.
- Clear the room. Remove children and pets from the room.
- Open the window. Turn on bright lights in the room, pull back the curtains and open the windows wide.
- Leave the room. Close the door behind you, and you can safely return in five to ten minutes. The bat will fly out during this time.
Don't try to drive the bat away by waving a towel. This action can injure the animal. In addition, the movements can seriously anger the guest, and she will attack you.
Fighting a massive invasion
If you are dealing not with one individual, but with an entire colony, then you need to act differently. Only the “tenants” need to be evicted closer to autumn, when the females feed all the young. If you drive out mice in the summer, you will doom the kids to a painful death, and turn your balcony or attic into a real breeding ground for infection. Therefore, put up with rustling and squeaking at night. Get into the fight this fall with these four steps.
- Surveillance. At night, carefully monitor through which cracks and loopholes the bats get out.
- Examination. When the entire flock leaves the home, carefully inspect the room again so that not a single animal remains in it.
- Repair. Now carefully seal all holes, cracks, loopholes using fiberglass, metal gratings, and sealants.
- Cleaning. Complete the procedure with general cleaning of the room using white, Domestos.
Don't forget about the dangers of excrement. Carry out the expulsion procedure in overalls, a respirator, and be sure to wear thick gloves on your hands.
Repellents
If the expulsion procedure does not end in victory, pay attention to numerous methods that can scare away uninvited guests. They allow you to get rid of bats forever, but do not harm endangered animals. Four drugs are most effective.
- Naphthalene. You can drive out mice using mothballs. Place the substance in bags and hang it in different places. The specific smell will completely repel the animals. It is necessary to change naphthalene periodically. It works as long as it continues to smell. Despite its high efficiency, the method can only be used in non-residential premises. Naphthalene vapors are dangerous to humans and pets.
- Water. A simple way to get rid of mice is to take a shower. Point the hose at surfaces that attract “guests” and spray them with cold water. This will get rid of bats, but, unfortunately, not forever. The animals will calmly return to their places as soon as you dry out the garage or shed.
- Aerosol 876 4-Pack Bat Repellent. If you prefer to fight with industrial means, then pay attention to this drug. It contains peppermint oil. When working with the spray, you must take special care so that, along with repelling mice, you do not provoke intoxication in yourself or your pets.
- Ultrasonic repeller. This is another method that allows you to drive away bats without harming them. Such devices emit special signals that humans cannot hear. But this sound is perfectly captured by the “guests”. They cannot put up with such discomfort, so they quickly leave your walls.
There are other, less effective methods. For example, a smoker. But be prepared for the fact that you will have to smoke for at least three to four days. Mice are afraid of light and fans. But you are unlikely to like this procedure. A roaring fan and a bright spotlight are not at all conducive to good sleep. And the amount charged for electricity consumption is unlikely to please anyone.
Source
What benefits do bats bring?
In nature, bats do more good than harm. There are only a few blood-sucking species, so it is impossible to say that it is chiropterans that transmit diseases.
But they destroy insects that, flying from one animal to another, are capable of spreading infections. During the season, animals eat a huge number of mosquitoes, beetles and butterflies, many of which, for example, in tropical countries, actually carry fatal diseases.
They protect chiropteran gardens and agricultural lands from pests that can destroy crops or harm trees and shrubs.
By flying from plant to plant, they help pollinate them.
Bat droppings are an excellent fertilizer. In some caves where animal colonies live, up to a meter of excrement can accumulate.
Enzymes from bat saliva are used in medicine.
House bat
Recently, people are increasingly keeping not only dogs and cats as pets, but also some exotic animals, including bats. At home, these animals take root, but do not feel as comfortable as in natural conditions. If you still want to keep a bat at home, then try to provide it with a life as close to nature as possible.
First of all, keep in mind that bats are exclusively nocturnal. If you plan to watch it during the day, then you will have to admire the sleeping animal. But at night your pet will want to fly, which can cause a lot of inconvenience.
How to determine the age of a baby
Below are photographs of baby bats of different ages, using a two-color leatherman as an example. They will serve you to determine the age of your foundling, as well as as a guide to its subsequent development. This cub was initially breast-fed, that is, nursed by its mother, therefore, with artificial feeding, the development time of the animal may differ slightly.
- pay attention to the sides of the tummy, this is what a well-fed bat cub looks like
- the fur on the withers begins to emerge
- the withers, part of the back and belly are covered with short hair
- the entire body is covered with short hair
- the fur becomes longer
- holding a stick, the cub flaps its wings, but does not jump, since it does not yet know how to fly
- the dark bases of the hairs and the light, silver-like tips are clearly visible; the color is grayer than that of adults
- teeth are almost formed, but they are smaller than in adults
– well formed sharp teeth
Pet house
Despite its small size, a bat at home needs a very spacious enclosure where the pet will be able to fly. It is necessary to equip the house with branches and shelters so that the animal has the opportunity to hide during the daytime rest.
The vital functions of bats directly depend on the ambient temperature, so the room where the pet lives should be approximately 30 degrees, which is quite high for a comfortable stay for a person.
A bird cage is not always suitable for keeping bats, since the distance between the twigs is sufficient so that one fine night you can find that the animal is flying above your heads and happily feasting on insects.
Age: more than 20 days
With normal nutrition at this age, the cub is already covered with hair and has teeth. They are still smaller than those of adult bats, but sufficient to chew solid food, namely insects.
Temperature
A 24-hour heating pad is not needed. Warming is only necessary after feeding. The cub learns to regulate its body temperature - it cools down when it sleeps and warms up when it wakes up. Before feeding, you need to give the animal time to warm up. When warming up, the bat “shivers” with its whole body.
Nutrition
If your bat's teeth have grown enough to chew solid food, it's time to start feeding insects. Mealworm larvae are best suited for this. Complementary foods are gradually introduced into the animal's diet. That is, the main food is still milk or formula.
The first evening of complementary feeding - let you try the pomace (entrails) of the mealworm, no more than half of the insect, a couple of bites. Most likely, the animal will not understand that you are offering it food, since it has not encountered insects before. You will have to tear off the insect’s head and apply some of the insides to the “lips” of the animal. When he licks them, slip him some more pomace. Afterwards you give him some food that is familiar to him - milk or formula. Do not leave the animal unattended, since mealworms are a new food for the intestines, the animal is just learning to digest it, and there is a risk of tummy problems. Watch the stool and the behavior of the animal. Subsequent feedings are milk feedings, as usual.
The next evening, offer the baby bat a slightly larger portion of mealworm innards. And so over the course of several days you increase the portion of the pomace. When the animal begins to eat them willingly and digest them without problems, let him gnaw on the chitin of the mealy beetle, just a little. Again, he doesn’t know how to chew yet, so he will do it clumsily. Supplement with entrails or milk, and then again observe how the intestines react to new, more solid food. In the future, allow the animal to eat larger and larger pieces of mealworms.
In this way, you will gradually teach the baby bat to eat and digest insects. Once he has successfully eaten and digested the mealworms, you can gradually increase the amount of mealworms in the diet while decreasing the amount of milk or formula. Often these are evening and night feedings with insects, and morning and afternoon feedings with milk or formula.
Don't forget about vitamin and mineral complexes. A growing animal needs them every 2-3 days. The dosage is individual and depends on the complex itself and the weight of the bat. Contact our specialists.
If you picked the animal at 3 weeks of age, has good teeth, but does not yet fly, feed it with milk or formula for 2-3 days, as described for mice aged 0 to 20 days. Only when the animal is able to digest dairy food normally, start feeding with insects, as described in this section.
What to feed a bat at home?
In the natural environment, most chiropterans prefer insects, which they perfectly obtain for themselves while flying at night. By the way, they should be fed at home in the evening, once a day.
A bat at home does not have the opportunity to feed itself, so the pet’s diet should be as close to natural as possible. But this does not mean at all that owners of unusual pets should catch mosquitoes all evening and bring them to their pet in a jar. What should you feed a small bat if it lives at home?
The following diet is suitable for chiropterans:
- mealworms;
- insect pupae;
- adult beetles;
- raw egg yolk;
- natural honey;
- milk formulas for feeding children up to one month.
Feeding your pet is not so easy: you can add raw yolk, a little honey and vitamin E to the milk mixtures. You need to pick up the animal and offer it the mixture through a pipette. It is not recommended to store the remaining mixture in the refrigerator.
Insects suitable for food are usually stored in jars, but for a short time. A tame bat will happily accept food, but teaching it to eat from your hands is not very easy. It is possible that at first she will refuse food.
Knowing what voracious bats actually eat at home, remember that animals can eat up to half their weight at a time, which can be dangerous to their health with little activity. Don't overfeed them.
Age from 0 to 20 days
Temperature
Such an animal needs to be warmed. Maintain a constant temperature of about 37 degrees. Thermal mats for animals or just a stable bottle of warm water wrapped in a towel (or sock) are suitable for this. But don't overheat!
Nutrition
Very young mice are fed goat's milk or a special milk formula for puppies (can be found in pet stores), which is prepared according to the recipe indicated on the package. Cow's milk is not nutritious enough for baby bats, and they will not be able to fully develop on it. The same applies to milk formulas for baby food - the animal lags behind in development.
It is very important that the milk is fresh, boiled, and the mixture is prepared immediately before feeding. Do not leave the prepared formula until the next feeding. Do not add eggs or other ingredients to milk or formula - there is a high risk of intestinal infection and death. It is also undesirable to change one milk to another. Equipment must be thoroughly washed, sterilized or boiled.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are often necessary, especially if you are feeding milk rather than formula. Look in your pet stores for vitamin-mineral complexes for birds without gastroliths (sand, pebbles, etc.). The dosage will depend on the chosen complex. This question needs to be clarified individually with our specialists.
Feeding mode
Babies are fed every 2-3 hours both day and night. Adults - every 3-4 hours. If the animal did not have time to digest the previous portion, and this is noticeable by the enlarged tummy, increase the interval between feedings.
When feeding, hold the animal so that the head is slightly lower than the body. Then spilled milk will not stain the body. Feed the animal slowly.
With age, the interval between feedings increases.
Amount of food
Cubs of different species and even different ages can differ significantly in weight, which is why they require different amounts of food. For this reason, we cannot clearly say how much your baby bat should eat.
If you know its weight, you can use the formula to calculate the approximate portion of food: weight of the animal in grams * 0.05 ml. So, per serving for a 10-gram animal you will need 10 g * 0.05 ml = 0.5 ml of milk or mixture. We emphasize that this is an approximate portion, everything is individual. If the animal eats with gusto and then starts to turn away, it means it’s full, don’t be upset.
It is convenient to track the portion of food eaten using a scale on the syringe. It is very important not to overfeed the animal . Babies often cannot cope with large amounts of food, and bloating begins, which often ends in death. Therefore, feed the animal in small portions, but often. In 1-2 days of observation, you will select suitable portions and feeding regimen for him.
