Common Myths About Wild Bats

Bats have had a bad rap for a long time. Old tales, books, movies, television, and advertising have caused people to develop misconceptions about bats. The truth is, bats are incredibly important to our surrounding ecosystem. Do you like mosquitoes? Beat do! And they eat them all so mosquitoes don’t eat you at your backyard cookout. Aside from insect control, beats play an important role in our environment. It is important to always respect bats and understand that they are innocent mammals that just want to survive.

For this reason, it is important that you never harm, trap, or kill wild bats. In fact, it is illegal in most states without the proper licenses and permits. If you’re scared of bats or have the wrong perception of them, keep reading to learn some common myths and maybe change your mind about bats once and for all.

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT BATS:

Bats consume blood

All but one species of bat are either insectivorous or frugivorous. There is only one species of bat that consumes the blood of other animals, and unsurprisingly, this species of bat is called the Vampire Bat, or Desmodus rotundus. But make no mistake; Vampire bats do not kill their host, they simply consume enough blood for a meal. It does not harm or injure the host at all (although sometimes its bites can become infected and cause problems with the host), which typically include livestock such as cows, horses, and goats.

beat will attack you

Bats are more afraid of you than you are of them. They are not likely to attack humans and animals, despite what some movies have shown you. The only time a bat will attack is if it is rabid with the rabies virus or if it is provoked. The provocation will cause the mother to beat especially to defend the young from her. That is why pets are common victims of these types of attacks. They are curious and just want to smell a mother bat, but she is not in the mood. This is one of the reasons why pet vaccinations are so important. If you find one, don’t touch it or try to move it with anything. Keep your distance and call a wildlife removal company!

bats are blind

They are not blind at all. In fact, Megachiroptera (tropical fruit bats) have pretty good eyesight because they have a pronounced visual cortex. Although Microchiroptera have smaller eyes, they can still see well. They do not use echolocation solely to navigate. They use it mainly to hunt insects.