Two things getting lots of coverage in the local news is the alleged espionage case and the “roller coaster” weather. One day it’s 5°C, the next -15°C, followed by 5°C again. Maybe that’s why I had an unusual sighting yesterday.
I was out for a walk when I saw a falling leaf. It fell in that familiar, undulating pattern as it was carried gently down by the wind to be gracefully placed upon the snowy ditch beside me.
Only it wasn’t a leaf.
It was a little brown bat.
It’s odd enough to see a bat during daylight hours, but in the middle of January . . . now that was odd! Bats hibernate in the winter, living off of stored body fat.
Getting this close to a bat allowed me to see how thin their wings are—truly amazing— when not stretched, the wings look like shrivelled lettuce. I didn’t know what to do; was it hurt? I couldn’t tell. The bat laid there for a minute or so, it’s little body heaving with each breath, its mouth opening and closing. I waited and hoped. Finally, the bat took off, flying in a zig zag pattern, as bats do, away from my watchful and concerned eye. I am happy to report that the bat’s flight was strong, easing my worry for its health.
Little brown bats are having a hard time these days. Current estimates of 6.7 million bats in North America have been killed by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that attacks bats when they are hibernating in caves (1). And it’s here in Nova Scotia, too (2). The disease is spread by contact, but the good news is scientists believe that affected bats can be saved if they are removed from hibernation and provided food and warmth (1). The disease thrives in cold caves; it’s the bats’ version of Boogey Man, only this one is real.
If you find live or dead bats affected with white-nose syndrome (signs include a white fungus growth around the nose—see picture below), you must inform your local wildlife agency or Dept. of Natural Resources. Cavers are being asked to abide cave closures and advisories, and to stay clear of all caves that are home to large populations of hibernating bats of any species (3).
Source: batconservation.org
Bats are attracted to wildflower gardens as a food source. If you have no qualms about putting out bird houses, why not include some for bats, too. Leave dead and dying trees in your nearby woods to provide shelter for the bats (3). I don’t understand why some people are so insistent on clearing out dead trees on their properties. Dead and dying trees provide shelter and abundant food for many species of mammals, insects, and birds.
I like bats. One of my blissful childhood memories includes bats. I still enjoy going outside at night to watch bats fly around my home, catching glimpses under the moonlight. If I position myself just so in bed, I can look out the window and watch for that well-known black shape to fly by.
Aside from the wonder bats can inspire (or fear, if you’re that kind of person), bats are incredibly valuable to the agriculture industry—a value worth $22.9 billion a year just from their bug-eating ways (1). Of course, we humans benefit from the bats’ diet, too. It’s unfair to complain about the mosquitoes and bats.
So let’s pray together that this undervalued, underappreciated, tiny creature survives.
Sources:
1. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-18/bat-fungal-disease-toll-advances-to-6-7-million-in-u-s-canada.html
2. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/05/11/ns-brown-bats-fungus.html
3. http://www.batconservation.org/drupal/white-nose?gclid=COCottGm2q0CFYbe4AodzTXBkg
