Fruit Bats Are Important

There are many myths and legends about bats.

We have all heard the stories that bats are blood suckers, evil, and dangerous.   While these stories are very entertaining, they simply are just not true.  Most bats eat insects--not people or other mammals.  If you have any kind of water nearby, having a family of bats live near your house can be very beneficial.  They eat the mosquitoes that can be such a nuisance.

Batty & Scar climbing down from an afternoon nap to get some fruit (photo: Erica O'Donnell)

There is another type of bat that exists called the fruit bat.  Fruit bats are also known as the megabats (because most are quite large) and the Flying Fox.  Fruit bats have excellent senses; they can see and smell where their food is located from afar.  They enjoy eating fruit, nectar, pollen, and sap.  Their sharp teeth help them penetrate the skin of the fruit and get the juice out.  Some of the fruit bats have wingspans that can be up to 5 feet wide.  Wrapping these large wings around their bodies help them stay warm while they are sleeping.  Fruit bats are social animals.  They can be found in very large colonies, and with so many eyes looking out for predators, this makes them feel safer.  After birth, a mother may not wean her newborns for 3 or more months.

So why are these fruit bats so important you ask?  They pollinate many trees and plants.  This process is called chiropterophily.  Fruit bats are responsible for pollinating some of the delicious fruits we consume, such as mango plants and banana plants.  They are also responsible for pollinating cocoa plants.  When the bats consume fruit with small seeds, they do not digest the seeds.  Instead, they carry and deposit the seeds away from the tree source, which leads to beautiful new trees in the rainforest.  So, the next time you come across a bat, there is no need to be afraid.  They help humans in many different ways.

One of WBS's resident fruit bats just hanging around (photo: Erica O'Donnell)

If you want to see a fruit bat up close, visit our Nature Center at the World Bird Sanctuary.  Our straw-colored fruit bats, Batty and Scar, always welcome visitors to come see them.  You can adopt Batty or Scar for $75.00.  This will help to pay for their food and care for the coming year.

Submitted by Erica O’Donnell, World Bird Sanctuary Education Coordinator

Midwest Bat Festival 2015

In collaboration with Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, BatWorld Ozarks and Missouri Bat Census Group, World Bird Sanctuary is presenting MidWest BatFest 2015.

Now in its second year, MidWest BatFest 2015 is an educational and awareness-building event hosted over two days at two different venues, with the purpose of educating the public about the importance of bats to our ecosystems, the threats they face, and what we as individuals can do to help them.

According to the USGS report released in March of 2011, insectivorous bats are estimated to save the US agricultural industry $3 billion per year in pesticide usage.  MidWest BatFest partners believe that our mutual interest in preserving bat species and their habitats make for a productive working partnership to raise awareness about the importance of bats and what we can do to help rapidly declining bat populations.  We will be presenting programs, featuring live bats, that demystify bats in Missouri, and update our attendees about the impact of white-nose syndrome on bat populations in the MidWest, and why this should matter to everyone who lives here.

Program of Events

Saturday, April 11^th at World Bird Sanctuary: 10am – 9:30pm

Meet live Missouri bats at MidWest Batfest 2015

·      Exciting Ecosystems! Presented by World Bird Sanctuary at 10:30am and 3:30pm.
Environmental education program featuring bats, barn owls, snakes.

·      Bats of Missouri Presented by Missouri Department of Conservation and BatWorld Ozarks , with live bats at 2:30pm

·      Urban Bat Preservation

Presented by Missouri Bat Census, presentation at 11:30am

·      White-nose Syndrome Update

Presented by US Fish & Wildlife Service at 1:30pm

·      MoBat Census bat-house building activity and children’s craft activity presented throughout the day

·      Exhibitors:

o      Missouri Cave and Karst Conservancy

o      Missouri Bat Census

o      Wildlife Command Center

o      Wildlife Rescue Center

o      National Speological Society

o      Mark Twain Cave Complex

o      NSS 2015 Convention

o      NSS WNS Response

o      Ozark Karst Task Force

Sunday, April 12^th at Onondaga Cave State Park: 10am – 4pm

Enjoy discounted cave tours at Onondaga Cave State Park during MidWest Batfest 2015.

·      Discounted cave tours (Saturday and Sunday)

o      Adults - $10  (normally $15)

o      Seniors/Teens - $8  (normally $13)

o      Children 5 - 12 years old - $6  (normally $9)

o      Children 4 and under are free

·      All About Bats, featuring live bats Presented by Missouri State Parks and Incredible Bats at 11am and 2pm

·      Bird of Prey Display Presented by World Bird Sanctuary  from 11am – 2pm

·      Bat Kids Craft presented by Onondaga State Park

·      White-nose Syndrome decontamination demonstration

·      White-nose Syndrome Update Presented by Missouri Department of Conservation at 1:30pm

·      Exhibitors:

o      Missouri Cave and Karst Conservancy

o      Missouri Bat Census

o      Wildlife Command Center

o      National Speological Society

o      Mark Twain Cave Complex

o      NSS 2015 Convention

o      NSS WNS Response

o      Ozark Karst Task Force

Special Presentation: Public Bat Mist-netting at World Bird Sanctuary AND Onondaga Cave State Park

Saturday, April 11^th

6:30pm – 9:30pm

Watch as bat biologists capture wild bats, record important data, and release the bats again.

Watch bat biologists as they trap bats in mist-nets, capture their data (including species, sex, age, size, etc.) and then release them.  This information is used in identifying trends in bat populations, as well as identifying problems so that proactive solutions can be found to help bats.

Admission to all programs, mist-netting and demonstrations is free. Cave tours at Onondaga Cave State Park are discounted for MidWest Batfest weekend.

We encourage visitors of all ages to come and learn about the importance of bats, what amazing creatures they are, and how we can help them, at MidWest BatFest 2015!

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, World Bird Sanctuary Fundraising & Social Media Consultant

"Bat"urday and FREE Recycling

"Bat"urday, including FREE Community Recycling Depot 2013

Event Title: "Bat"urday

Date: Saturday, April 6^th, 2013

Time: 12pm – 4pm

Batty & Scar, World Bird Sanctuary's Straw-colored Fruit Bats

Event Description:

Bats are interesting and misunderstood creatures.  Did you know that their bug-eating habits are worth $25 billion to the U.S. agricultural industry?  Contrary to the old wives’ tale, they are not going to try and nest in your hair.  At “Bat”urday you can learn more about the environmental and economic importance of these animals, the threats they face, and what you can do to help bats survive.

Join us for an interesting day of bat presentations, where you’ll meet our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats and watch our bat trainer give them enrichment.  Biologists from MDC and MoDot will teach you all about Missouri bats and give updates on White Nose Syndrome, a disease that’s killing many bats.  Meet live Missouri bats from Batworld Ozarks and learn what it’s like to be a bat researcher with our bat netting and research activity!  We will also be giving out bat house plans so that you can go home and build your very own bat house!

Featured at “Bat”urday:  FREE Community Recycling Day!

Keep it out of the landfill and help us save bat and bird habitat!  Bring your recyclables to “Bat”urday where RNA Worldwide Recycling will keep them out of the landfill in exchange for a small item from our wishlist (e.g. latex gloves; 30 gallon trash bags; etc.) – click here for a full list of eligible wishlist items. 

Items you can bring for recycling include:

Equipment

· Computers

· Network

· Medical and Lab

· Telecommunications

· AV Equipment

· Electronic Operated Items

· Battery Operated Items

Accessories

· LCD Displays (No Fee)

· LCD Display-laptops

· CD, CDRW, and DVD Drives

· Hard Drives

· Disk Drives

· Zip Drives

· Scanners

· Printers

· Speakers

· Battery back-ups

· Batteries

Miscellaneous

· Adding & Answer Machines

· Phones (Cell, Cord/Cordless)

· Pagers

· Pocket PCs

· Cartridges

· PC and Digital Cameras

· Batteries

· Power Cords

· Cables and Wire

· Appliances

· ALL SCRAP METAL

Admission: Admission and parking is FREE.  No reservations required.

For more information go to www.worldbirdsanctuary.org

Electronics and the above or similar items only—no paper or household plastics please

"Bat"urday

You're invited to celebrate bats with us at "Bat"urday, on April 7th, 2012!  In an effort to help save bird and bat habitat, we will have a FREE Community Recycling Depot at "Bat"urday!

Bats are interesting and misunderstood creatures.  Learn more about the environmental and economic importance of these animals, the threats they face, and what you can do to help bats survive.

Join us for an interesting day of bat presentations, where you'll meet our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats, watch our bat trainer give them enrichment, and participate in bat-related fun kids "bat"-activities.  We will also be giving out bat houseplans so that you can go home and build your very own bat house!

FREE COMMUNITY RECYCLING DEPOT INFORMATION

 Keep it out of the landfill and help us save bat and bird habitat!   In partnership with RNA Worldwide, we're working to save habitat.

*   Bring your items to the Community Recycling Depot at WBS.

*   Donations from our wish list would be appreciated - a donation box for wishlist items (e.g. latex gloves; trash bags; etc.) or cash will be at the recycling depot.  Click here for a full list of eligible wishlist items.

*   Get a coupon for 10% off anything in our gift shop, valid on April 7th 2012 only.  One coupon per recycler. 

Items you can bring for recycling include:

Equipment

   Computers

   Network

   Medical and Lab

   Telecommunications

   AV Equipment

   Electronic Operated

   Battery Operated Items

Accessories

   LCD Displays (No Fee)

   LCD Display-laptops

   CD, CDRW, and DVD Drives

   Hard Drives

   Disk Drives

   Zip Drives

   Scanners

   Printers

   Speakers

   Battery back-ups

   Batteries

Miscellaneous

   Adding & Answer Machines

   Phones (Cell, Cord/Cordless)

   Pagers

   Pocket PCs

   Cartridges

   PC and Digital Cameras

   Batteries

   Power Cords

   Cables and Wire

   Appliances

   ALL SCRAP METAL


Sponsored in part by:

"Bat"urday & Community Recycling Depot

Date: Saturday, April 7th, 2012

Time: 9am - 2pm

Place: World Bird Sanctuary, 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road, Valley Park, MO 63088

Admission: Admission and Parking is FREE!

Bring your unwanted recyclables and bring your camera!  It's going to be a great "Bat"urday!

Bats and Rabies

Often when you say the word bat, many people immediately think of rabies. 

Batty, one of our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats

Did you know that less than 1% of all bats have rabies.   In order to understand this topic it’s important to understand the facts about bats and rabies.  Worldwide about 55,000 people die per year due to rabies.  Most of the rabies contracted by people come from dog bites. 

Rabies is a preventable viral infection of the central nervous system in mammals.  Rabies is generally transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.  You cannot get rabies just from looking at a bat, being in a room with a bat or by coming in contact with bat guano.  Rabies is readily prevented by post-contact vaccination, but is almost always fatal after symptoms appear.  If you are bitten by any animal you must seek prompt medical attention and follow all doctor’s advice.  Bats do have small teeth and bite marks may not be apparent.  If you find a bat in the room of an unattended child or mentally impaired person seek medical advice.  If you are able, try to capture the bat using a box or a can while wearing leather garden gloves.   Do not handle it with your bare hands.

Scar--he and his brother greet visitors in our Nature Center

Most of us have been told if you come across a strange animal acting aggressive, foaming at the mouth, or just acting weird to stay away; good advice.  Rabies in bats is very different.  The virus will actually cause the bat to become paralyzed.  So the best advice is, if you find a bat on the ground do not pick it up.

For more information on the subject go to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on exposure to rabies.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Field Studies Coordinator

Brazilian Free-tailed Bats

 Over Easter 2011 I traveled with my family to Southeastern Arizona for vacation and to visit my sister who lives in the small town of Morenci.

 On our drive to Morenci we stopped at Roper State Park outside of Safford, AZ.  After driving around the small lake we stopped at the picnic area to use the restrooms.  As I was going in I noticed droppings on the ground that did not look like bird droppings, but rather bat.

 

When I exited I immediately heard the familiar high pitched chattering of bats.  (We have two Straw-colored Fruit Bats at the Sanctuary, so I am familiar with their vocalizations.)  I began to look around and, sure enough, there on the wall was a bat.  I very carefully ran out, alerted my parents and then went to the car to get my camera.  I knew I had my “Bats of the Rocky Mountain West” field guide with me, but I needed to get some photos so I could I.D. this bat in case he flew off or crawled out of sight.  I took several photos.  We could hear more bats up in the crevices of this building, but could not see them.

Once back in the car I pulled out my field guide to work on identifying this very cool bat.  After searching the field guide and reading the field keys to bats of the Rocky Mountains I determined that it was a Free-tailed Bat Species. There are three species of Free-tailed Bats that exist in this region of Arizona, the Pocketed, Brazilian and Big Free-tailed Bats.  I am leaning towards this one being a Brazilian Free-tailed Bat.

 

Brazilian Free-tailed Bats are found throughout the southern US and parts of Mexico.  They inhabit a variety of habitats, from deserts to tropical forests.  They live in large colonies.  The largest known colony in the world contains about 20 million adults and is in Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio, Texas.  Their diet consists mainly of beetles and moths.  They have long, narrow wings that help them with high-speed flight, reaching speeds of 30 mph or more.

This was definitely a highlight of the trip for me, and I hope that in the future I will encounter more bats to add to my list.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn,  World Bird Sanctuary Field Studies Coordinator

Amazing Flying Mammals

Over the last few months I have been doing a lot of research about bats to learn more facts for the World Bird Sanctuary programs, bat blogs and monthly displays in our Nature Center.

The more research I do the more amazing bat facts I find about these fascinating Flying Mammals.

 A Mexican Free-tailed Bat spotted on a recent trip

Bats belong to the order called “Chiroptera”, meaning  hand-wing.  The bat’s wing structure is simlar to the human hand.  The four long bones with the connective membrane are like our fingers.  The thumb is small and has a nail or claw on it.  This claw is very useful for crawling, grooming and holding onto food.

Bats eat a wide variety of food, including insects, fruit, nectar, fish frogs, rodents, lizards, birds and blood.  Recently a study was done to determine the economic value of bats in the United States.  The study estimated that bats save agriculture up to $53 billion a year.  Just think about it—one little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito sized insects an hour.  Most of the bats we have here in the United States are insect eating bats, so they are eating the insects that would destroy crops.  With bats eating the insects farmers need to use less insecticide on their crops, thereby saving them money.

Not only are insect eating bats beneficial, but so are the pollinators and fruit eating bats.  Bats pollinate and spread seed for a multitude of plants.  Of these, 134 species yield products that we use.  Some of the products we use that depend on bat pollinators include:  bananas, avocados, dates, figs, peaches, mangoes, durian, cloves, cashews, carob and balsa wood.  Rainforests also rely on bats to spread seeds.  Bats can account for up to 95 percent of the first new growth of rainforests.

 Batty--A Straw-colored Fruit Bat who resides in our Nature Center

In Africa the Great Baobab Tree of the East African savannah relies almost exclusively on Straw-colored Fruit Bats for pollination and seed dispersal.  This tree is often called the “African Tree of Life”, and without bats the Tree of Life could die out, jeopardizing an entire ecosystem.

Bat droppings, or Guano, was at one time a major natural resource in the United States, and is still mined commercially in many countries.  Guano in caves supports whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents and manufacturing antibiotics.

Just recently, the number of known bat species has changed from 1,105 listed back in 2003, to 1,212 recognized species as of March 2011.  The more scientists learn about bats the more species they are discovering.

 Batty and Scar--just hanging out

When visiting the World Bird Sanctuary Nature Center be sure to take the time to visit our two Straw-colored Fruit Bats—Batty and Scar.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Field Studies Coordinator

Don't Forget Baturday!

"Baturday", you ask?  No, we're not talking about a new baseball season event!

World Bird Sanctuary is celebrating our first Baturday event April 9, 2011 from 12-4.  

What is Baturday?  Baturday is World Bird Sanctuary’s day to celebrate “2011 International Year of the Bat.”  Guests will learn all about bats during our educational Bat presentation.  You will learn why Bats are so economically important, the threats they face and what you can do to help them survive. 

Come out and meet Batty and Scar, our Straw-colored Fruit Bats

Meet our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats, Batty and Scar.  Programs will be at 1 and 3 in the Nature Center. 

Watch a bat training and enrichment session.  We will also have bat house plans available to help you attract bats to your neighborhood--we can guarantee that after learning all about bats you’ll want them around your house!

Help us with the bat enrichment session by bringing fresh herbs like dill, thyme and basil.  Other fresh herbs that can be used are spearmint (Menta spicata), peppermint (Menta x piperita), oregano (Origanum vulgare), creeping marjoram (Origanum spp.), English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), catnip (Nepeta cataria), basil (Ocimum basilicum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). 

We could also use new silk flowers and greenery to decorate the cage.  The colors of the flowers add a bit of enrichment for these fascinating mammals. 

Additional enrichment item possibilities are:  a new hanging suet feeder, plain gelatin to make bat jigglers, wire trash baskets (small), wreaths made of grape vines and colored wood made for mammals or parrots.  All of these items can be used for various types of enrichment and we will talk about it in our enrichment/training session.

Join Batty and Scar to celebrate Bats and learn about these amazing flying mammals.

Baturday?

World Bird Sanctuary is celebrating our first Baturday event April 9, 2011 from 12-4. 

What is Baturday?  Baturday is World Bird Sanctuary’s day to celebrate “2011 International Year of the Bat.”  Guests will learn all about Bats during our educational Bat presentation.  You will learn why Bats are so economically important, the threats they face and what you can do to help them survive. 

Meet our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats, Batty and Scar.  Programs will be at 1 and 3 in the Nature Center. 

 Batty and Scar, our Straw-colored Fruit Bats

Watch a Bat training and enrichment session.  We will also have Bat house plans available to help you attract Bats to your neighborhood--we can guarantee that after learning all about Bats you’ll want them around your house!

Help us with the Bat enrichment session by bringing fresh herbs like dill, thyme and basil.  Other fresh herbs that can be used are spearmint (Menta spicata), peppermint (Menta x piperita), oregano (Origanum vulgare), creeping marjoram (Origanum spp.), English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), catnip (Nepeta cataria), basil (Ocimum basilicum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). 

We could also use new silk flowers and greenery to decorate the cage.  The colors of the flowers add a bit of enrichment for these fascinating mammals. 

Additional enrichment item possibilities are:  a new hanging suet feeder, plain gelatin to make bat jigglers, wire trash baskets (small), wreaths made of grape vines and colored wood made for mammals or parrots.  All of these items can be used for various types of enrichment and we will talk about it in our enrichment/training session.

Join Batty and Scar to celebrate Bats and learn about these amazing flying mammals.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, Field Studies Coordinator

“Blind As A Bat” – Truth or Old Wives’ Tale?

As Part 2 of a series celebrating the “Year of the Bat”, following are some misconceptions about bats that I want to clarify about these seriously misunderstood, amazing creatures. 

I often hear people claim that bats are flying mice.  While many bats are as small as a mouse when their wings are tucked in, bats are not related to rodents.  Bats are in their own group called ‘Chiroptera’, which means hand-wing.  Bats are actually more closely related to monkeys, lemurs and people than to rodents.

Scar, one of our Straw Colored Fruit Bats, just "hanging out"

Another popular misconception is that bats are blind.  This is far from the truth.  Most bats can see as well as a human, if not better.  Fruit bats, like World Bird Sanctuary’s Straw-colored Fruit bats, have excellent eyesight and use it to find their food.  Fruit bats can also see in color, which helps them locate their food.

The Little Brown Bat is one of the fourteen species of bats indigenous to Missouri.  Little Browns have excellent eyesight and also have excellent hearing that they use to locate their food.  I’ll talk about how many bats find their insect food in upcoming blogs.

Often when outside at a picnic during the summer I frequently hear someone panic when they realize bats are flying overhead.  People often believe the bats are going to get tangled in their hair or are going to attack them.  This is not true.  What is happening is that the bats are swooping close to you to get the mosquitoes and other little insects that are hovering just above your head.  Insect-eating bats are equipped with a built in sonar system.  This system allows them to navigate at break-neck speed through total darkness, so the chance of a bat colliding with a human head is virtually non-existent.

Bats actually have very cute faces

When many people hear the word “bat” their first comment is that bats are ugly or dirty.  In a bat lover’s opinion (and yes, that would include me), most bats have very cute faces, much like a puppy. Contrary to popular opinion, bats are actually very clean animals.  Like a cat, they spend an enormous amount of time grooming their fur, keeping it soft and silky.

The biggest misconception people have about bats is rabies.  Like most mammals, bats are capable of catching rabies.  However, less than one-half of one percent of bats actually contract the disease.  In reality, more people die annually from contact with rabid household pets than have died from contact with bats in all recorded history.  Always be careful, though.  Children should be cautioned that if they find a bat on the ground they should not pick it up.  A grounded bat is most likely ill.  If an adult must pick it up use heavy gloves and place the bat under or in a thick bush.

For more information regarding exactly how to remove a bat or bats go to www.batcon.org or www.batworld.org.  Information about rabies can also be found on these websites.  Both groups have excellent information to assist you.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, Field Studies Coordinator

           

Year of the Bat

2011 has been named the Year of the Bat by the United Nations Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, and by the Agreement on the Conservation of Population of European Bats.  Year of the Bat is going to promote conservation, research and education of these fascinating flying mammals. 

 Batty & Scar, our two Straw Colored Fruit Bats

World Bird Sanctuary is also going to participate by having some of our blogs dedicated to bat information, and some additional displays about our bats and bat conservation at our Nature Center.  We are going to work on promoting the conservation of these amazing animals by providing much needed education for one of the world’s most misunderstood and persecuted mammals.

World Bird Sanctuary is participating in promoting Year of the Bat for two reasons.  To begin with, WBS has two resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats on exhibit and we would like to debunk some of the many myths associated with these often misunderstood creatures.  The second reason is that bird and bat conservation are directly related.  Bats face many of the same environmental issues as birds. Three overlapping threats to birds and bats are habitat loss, pesticides and wind power.  Over the coming year I will at some point touch on each of these topics, along with many others.

My own fascination with Bats began back in 2002.  I was living in Milwaukee, WI at the time, and attended a speaking engagement by Dr. Merlin Tuttle, founder and president of Bat Conservation International (www.batcon.org).  By the end of the evening I was in love with these flying mammals. Upon seeing all of his jaw-dropping photos of these intriguing animals I was addicted.  Shortly after that I became a member of Bat Conservation International to help me keep up on the latest developments in bat conservation, and because I was truly interested in bats and wanted to know more about them. There are more than 1,116 species of bats worldwide with new species being discovered all over the world.  About half of these bats are currently at risk of becoming endangered. 

Bats range in size from the smallest, the Bumblebee Bat of Thailand which weighs less than a penny, to the giant Flying Fox from Indonesia, which has a wingspan of up to six-feet--equivalent to a male bald eagle. 

There are an estimated 134 plants that yield products we use that at least partially rely on bats for pollination or seed dispersal.  Some of these products include bananas, mangoes, dates, figs and tequila.  Bats like the Little Brown Bat found here in Missouri can eat about 1000 mosquito-sized insects in an hour.    Many other species of bats eat insects that attack farmers’ crops, so insect eating bats are also very helpful to our ecosystem.

 

Keep an eye on the blog or visit our Nature Center to learn more about these truly spectacular flying mammals--Bats.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Field Studies Coordinator