Halloween #Blogtober post 19 – In a shocking and unexpected twist I’m using this opportunity to bring you some facts about bats. Bats are my favourite. I know zoos are bad and evil and all the rest of it but honestly, every time I go I spend about 4x longer in the bat house than whoever I’m with cares to.
I’m a fountain of bat knowledge, but I have cross referenced these facts on batworlds.com, bats.org, and New Forest NPA just to make sure I’m not accidentally telling stinking dirty great fibs.
- Bats like to play in the trees at the bottom of my garden, and I like to sit out during summer evenings and watch them swooping around.
- There are 1200+ species of bats worldwide. In the UK we have 18 – 17 of which are known to be breeding.
- The most common bat in the UK is the Pipstrelle. It weighs about the same as a 20pence piece (can you EVEN omg how cute!)
- There are legitimate Vampire bats. And they legitimately feed on blood! Rarely human blood though, and only a tablespoon per night.
- In China, bats are considered symbols of good fortune.
- Bats are not blind. They have pretty good eyesight as it goes.
- Smaller bats usually live 10-15 years, although some have been recorded to live 40+.
- A baby bat is called a pup. A collection of bats is called a colony
- The largest bat is known as a Megabat, or Large Flying Fox, or Pteropus. It has a wingspan of up to 6ft. That’s a foot taller than me! They’re found in Asia, Australia and East Africa.
- Our furry little flying friends are protected, so please be kind to them! RSPB have set out guidelines of what and what not to do to avoid causing unnecessary harm and distarbance to the little blighters. You could even join the Bat Conservation Trust for £2.50 per month.