A domestic bat: is it worth getting and what difficulties await you in keeping it?

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Not everyone keeps familiar pets at home: dogs, cats, ornamental birds, hamsters. Lovers of unusual pets inevitably have to become real experts in their care, otherwise the animal will fall ill and die. But many are not afraid of new knowledge, and the homes of such enthusiasts are filled with creatures that you would not expect to see outside of nature. For example, a house bat.

• 2 Is it possible to keep a bat at home?
• 3 What do bats eat at home: drawing up a diet and diet
• 4 Other nuances of content

  4.1 Video: how a mouse can behave in an apartment

Are bats good pets?

You can keep a bat as a pet. Unfortunately, the cage is not suitable for bats. These mammals do better in the wild. Bats need to fly long distances to stay strong.

This means that a bat in a cage is weaker than in the wild. They also need to be in the colony to survive. A bat in the wild can live up to 30 years, while only a few domestic bats will live to be a year old.

Bats require special care, housing and food. They are complex animals, so caring for them properly is nearly impossible even if you wanted to. Many people only try this for a few weeks and then get bored with it.

Bats are unique animals. Taking them from the wild is not recommended. But if you still decide to have a bat as a pet, pay attention to the following points:

Keeping at home

The animal is not adapted to life in captivity. Therefore, zoologists believe that bats should not be kept indoors. And if someone decides to have an exotic animal in their apartment, they need to create appropriate conditions for it.

Bats can be carriers of dangerous diseases, including rabies.

Peculiarities

The animal very quickly gets used to humans, it loves affection and attention. However, those who want to get a pet bat need to know that:

• These mammals are nocturnal animals that are awake from 11 pm to 7 am. Requires active communication. Without this, they often become depressed and stop taking care of themselves. And at night they fly, preventing their owner from sleeping.
• Chiropterans usually relieve themselves while flying, so if a mouse lives in an apartment, feces are found on furniture and curtains.
• They need a large number of insects, which need to be caught somewhere.
• The mouse should be able to freely fly from one room to another in order to independently choose the optimal temperature and suitable conditions.
• He winters in his enclosure. When hibernating, she covers herself with her voluminous wings, thereby creating a kind of cocoon around herself, inside of which she is warm and comfortable even with a strong drop in temperature.

The decision to have such a pet should be deliberate and should be approached with all responsibility.

Home improvement

A bat kept in captivity needs a spacious enclosure, so for comfortable breeding, a large cage (at least a meter long, depending on the size of the pet) with a fine mesh is used.

It is necessary to check the availability of:

• wood rods for shelter;
• clean paper;
• thermometer;
• humidifier.

A birdcage is absolutely not suitable for living in; it limits the freedom of movement of the animal.

Small containers with water are placed in different parts of the enclosure, thanks to this, optimal humidity is maintained, which is especially important for the bat. She can quench her thirst at any time. During hibernation, to prevent dehydration of the body, it is necessary to spray water around the animal with a spray bottle, but there is no need to wet the mouse.

Temperature

In domestic mice, just like their wild relatives, their body temperature changes and depends on the activity of the pet. Therefore, the temperature in the room must be controlled.

The enclosure is divided into compartments, each of which is maintained at a certain temperature; the animal itself chooses the conditions suitable for it.

Good digestion requires warmth, so a heat lamp or a bottle filled with hot water (never boiling water) is attached to one of the walls of the cage. Too cold a temperature is unacceptable: due to hypothermia, the mouse may fall into a state of suspended animation or die.

Living in captivity is extremely stressful for her; in order to avoid an unpleasant outcome, it is worth considering the adaptation period. Before planting, live insects are added to the enclosure, so it retains its hunting qualities. In the first days, you should not go into the room where the mouse lives, so that the animal gets used to the new place and calms down.

Feeding

In natural conditions, bats feed on insects, but in captivity they cannot feed themselves, so the diet must be as close to natural as possible.

The animals are given:

• mealworms;
• raw egg yolk;
• honey;
• cockroaches;
• insect pupae;
• adult beetles and their larvae;
• pieces of lean boiled meat.

Raw yolk, a little honey and vitamin E are added to the milk mixture. The pet is picked up by hand and fed through a pipette or a medical syringe without a needle. It is better to prepare a portion for one feeding; leftovers are not stored in the refrigerator.

Mice hibernate in winter, so they are not fed three days before this period.

The pet should not be overfed. The owner should take into account that an adult eats a portion equal to 1/2 of its weight. The tame animal takes food from your hands with caution.

Calculation of servings for one feeding:

After eating, the pet is placed in a room with a temperature of at least +30 degrees Celsius. The optimal time to eat is 11 pm.

Schedule

In nature, bats live in colonies containing several tens of thousands of animals. Some people prefer to sleep in groups during the day, while others prefer to sleep alone. Activity starts from 11 pm to 7 am.

Tame mice love affection and even “talk” to their owner, but without proper attention they fall into prolonged depression, stop taking care of themselves and may even die of melancholy. To prevent this from happening, you should not ignore her “attempts to communicate.”

Like any animal, a bat, whose care and maintenance at home presents some difficulties, needs care and affection from humans. After all, bats are not exactly ordinary pets; they require special observation. And only with a serious, responsible attitude can one expect that the animal will live comfortably in captivity.

• Author: Olga
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What to feed a bat?

Different species of bats eat different types of food. The age of the bat also affects what they eat.

Here are some foods that bats like to eat:

Milk: All bats feed on milk for the first six months of life.

Fruit: Some species of bats eat fruit. They are usually attracted to the smell of ripe fruit.

Insects: Most bats (about 70%) eat insects. Some of the insects include mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies and beetles.

Blood: Only a few species of bats from Mexico and South America are known to feed on the blood of mammals and birds.

Nectar: ​​Bats that eat nectar have a long snout and tongue for feeding. They resemble hummingbirds.

Fish and other animals: Some species of bats are known to eat fish, frogs, birds, lizards and some rodents. Other bats may even feed on other bats.

Behavior

A person who decides to become the owner of such an animal will undoubtedly be surprised by its behavior. The mouse will sleep almost all day, choosing a secluded place for this; it is unlikely that the livestock breeder will be able to see it. In the evening, the animal, on the contrary, will behave excessively active and will constantly move around the enclosure. Naturally, installing an aviary in the bedroom is rather unwise.

This is not at all an animal that can be picked up, stroked and caressed - you can only watch it.

The mouse sleeps interestingly - upside down, these are the most comfortable conditions for it, so it is worth providing all the conditions for its proper rest.

In the summer, she will begin to catch mosquitoes - this is the most interesting entertainment for her.

If you wish, you can feed the animal with homemade food: meat, milk or grain, but do not overdo it.

What do bats get sick with?

Rabies

Like many other wild animals, bats can carry the rabies virus. Even a small, seemingly insignificant bat bite can cause transmission of the virus. This means that before you get a bat, you must be vaccinated against the virus.

An infected bat may even pass the virus to other pets in the house. Even after being vaccinated against rabies, a person will need additional help if they are bitten by a rabid bat or other animal. It's not as simple as getting a rabies vaccine.

In addition to rabies, bats can transmit deadly viruses such as Hendra (in horses), SARS and Ebola to other mammals.

These viruses do not affect bats because they have very effective immune systems. This gives them broad spectrum immunity against viral attacks. Other animals may experience serious health problems or even death.

Where can I get it?

Many people see an animal with incredibly cute eyes in the picture and wonder where they can get the same animal. The easiest way is to go out into the forest and catch it. In some settlements, mice themselves fly into the house, and its owner carefully receives the guest and allows him to live there. Another option is to buy it from an exotic pet store.

Animal behavior

Chiropterans are nocturnal animals. In their usual habitat, they are awake in the dark and sleep during the day. You should not expect that a newly caught or purchased animal will immediately adapt to new living conditions.

This will take time, and it is individual for each animal. In the first few days after a bat moves into a new home, the animal may completely hide and not show itself. Don’t worry, because this is a natural process of adaptation to a new place and conditions.

Important! If a wild bat, after moving into the enclosure, does not show activity for more than 4-5 days, it is better to release it into the wild, because the animal may die in captivity from longing for its usual way of life.

Is it possible to have a bat as a pet?

The bat is a representative of the order Chiroptera. In appearance, she is quite attractive.

The animal's head resembles that of a mouse, which is why the animal was nicknamed a bat. The muzzle is slightly flattened, the nose has large nostrils. The ears are slightly extended upward. Throughout the body, except for the wings, the animal has pubescence, which, depending on the species, can be brown, black or white.

Did you know? The folded lip bat, native to Brazil, is capable of flying at speeds of 100 km/h.

As for keeping this animal at home, zoologists are clearly against such a neighborhood, because the animal requires space and privacy. But, if the area of ​​the estate (estate) allows you to build an enclosure and create the necessary conditions that are required for normal life, then you can have a curiosity in it.

How to get rid of and drive away bats in a country house under a roof?

Bats can settle anywhere, especially in the country. They can bring both benefit and harm to their owners. The benefit lies in eating small harmful insects.

Harm occurs if a person inhales the evaporation of mammal droppings, as well as their bites. Although contact with animals is rare, after being bitten by an animal, you should consult a doctor. Animals are considered carriers of rabies.

They can settle anywhere, even crawl into a small gap. They mainly settle:

• In the country.
• Under the roof.
• In the attic.
• On the balcony.
• Under the windowsill.
• In the chimney.
• In the garage.

To calculate their location, you need to track when they fly out to hunt. Another sign can be piles of droppings near their shelter.

Before destroying their nests, you should make sure that they are empty.

After discovering their habitat, it is necessary to decide on control measures, taking into account where they are located.

It can be:

• Mothballs.
• Sprays.
• Aerosols.
• Bat repeller.

Before you start fighting flying pets, you should adhere to certain rules:

1. If individuals have settled in the attic, it is worth finding out how many animals are in it. Perhaps the female has small mice; she will not leave the place until the babies begin to move independently. In this case, it will be possible to drive away by the end of the summer month. In winter, it is also not advisable to get rid of them. They hibernate and can die from frost and starvation.
2. Flying pets found outside. In this case, it will be easier to deal with them. To do this, there are many different means that can repel mice.

Let's look at the most effective ways to help get rid of the presence of bats:

1. Using mothballs. Take mothballs, place it in a gauze bag and tie it near the place where the mammals live. The emanating smell will not allow them to return to the nest. This method will be effective after 2 attempts.
2. various sprays and aerosols available They spray the places where the creatures live during their absence. They cannot be used when used inside an apartment.
3. Flying pets are shy; to drive them out, you can hang bright stripes and balls near their place so that they make a rustling sound, scaring them away.
4. A great way to do this is to use a cold shower. Use a hose to pour cold water over the nest located under the roof. Bats cannot tolerate water. If the procedure is repeated several times, they will leave their place of residence forever.

There are times when a flying animal ends up in an apartment. Under no circumstances should you try to catch her.

To do this, you can open the window to let it fly out, or catch it in a box without touching it with your hands. It is also not allowed to poison bats indoors with chemicals, so as not to harm human health.

To make control methods effective and more effective, you should follow useful tips:

1. strictly forbidden to catch the animal with your hands to avoid being bitten. If a bite occurs, consult a doctor immediately.
2. Avoid contact if found indoors. To do this, place the animal on a scoop and take it outside to avoid infection or spread of infection.
3. If there is free space on the dacha plot, it is allowed to build a small room to lure mice from the dacha house there.
4. Seal all cracks in the roof and openings for mammals.
5. By purchasing an ultrasonic bat repeller, you can block their access to your home.