Despite their striking resemblance (minus the wings of course), bats are not closely related to mice. In fact, the two are not related at all. Although bats and mice are both mammals, bats belong to the mammalian order Chiroptera, while rodents are of the mammalian order Rodentia.

It is not certain where confusion comes into play when it comes to people thinking that these two creatures might be related. It could be because they look somewhat similar, or it could also be because in many languages the word for “bat” is cognate with the word for “mouse”. In some countries/languages, bats are often referred to as the “winged mouse”, “winged rodent”, “blind mouse”, or “leather mouse”. It is no wonder that people are so confused.

Generally, bats are not aggressive creatures. In fact they are quite shy and timid. Contrary to what you may have heard, bats do not attack people. Nor do they swoop down and get tangled in your hair. They may occasionally fly alarmingly near in pursuit of a mosquito or fly, giving the appearance of a swooping attack, but you can rest assured that they were only trying to catch their dinner. Bats are actually beneficial to humans in several different ways:

• They consume flying insects such as moths, mosquitoes and flies
• They are indicators of air quality and ecological health
• They pollinate and disperse seeds for significant plants

Bats hibernate during the cold winter months, usually from the middle of November to the middle of March. During hibernation, they can be found taking refuge in caves, behind rocks, in buildings, old mines, hollow trees, etc. During the summer they build up fat in order to live through the winter.

It is very important that if you ever come across a bat that is hibernating, that you do not disturb it, as doing so can lower its energy levels, possibly rendering the bat unable to survive the winter. Most bats will hibernate in groups and can be found hanging upside down on walls or ceilings. Sometimes while hanging upside down bats will huddle together in groups, or they may choose to hang upside down alone, pushing away other bats that get too close for comfort.

The Hibernation Process And How It All Works

During the hibernation process, a bat’s body temperature will drop until reaches the temperature that it is outside. When it does this, he or she is no longer required to make as much body heat, therefore also not needing as much food. Bats can hibernate for long periods of time if they are only using a little bit of food that they have already stored in their bodies.

Some bats such as the red bat, that is most often recognized by its bright red fur, will fly hundreds of miles in the fall to hibernate for winter. During this time, these brightly colored bats can be found flying from Canada to Ohio. These bats are one of the toughest around. Their temperatures go as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit and they can be found hibernating in spaces between rocks. They are quite the sight as they wrap their tails around them and curl up into balls to sleep. When their body temperatures drop down, their heart rates only beat about ten times per minute, whereas usually a bat’s heartbeat would be about a thousand beats per minute.

Other types of bats set up roosts in trees. Usually the males will do this and have it all set up for the females who will arrive later on. The two mate and then hibernate. One type of bat in particular that follows this specific method of hibernation is the Pipistrelle bat.

It is a very common misconception that bats are attracted to light. Rather, bats are attracted to the insects that they hunt and eat, which are attracted to the light. If you see a bat heading towards a light pole nearby, chances are he’s chasing after his dinner.

Considered one of the most effective and natural forms of insect control and consuming up to half of their weight in mosquitoes, moths and flies every night, while these creatures can be great for ridding off the bugs around your lawn, but can be a nuisance if you don’t exactly feel comfortable with the thought of having a bat move into the neighborhood. Especially, if it’s your porch light or roof that he or she favors.

How To Deter Bats From Your Porch

The good news is that there are easy, inexpensive and humane ways to deter bats from your neck of the woods. Here are a few tips to get your started:

• Look for an accumulation of bat droppings in the area above the porch, or rub marks on the siding below it as bats will often use these openings for entry and exit. Sometimes the opening a bat uses can even be as small as the width of your thumb so look carefully and be sure that your search is thorough. If possible, spend a few nights watching closely for where bats are entering and exiting the roof space.
• Knowing when to bat proof your house is also very important as you could accidently seal them inside of a wall. Not only would this be tragic, it would also only add to the extinction problem that is already occurring to the bat population worldwide. Timing is everything when it comes to bat proofing your house. Never block off an entrance or exit opening during the months of June-August. It is common during these months for bat colonies to consist of young bats that have not yet learned how to fly. The best time to bat proof your home would be between November and March, as most bats will be hibernating elsewhere during this time.
• To properly bat proof your porch, square pieces of mesh work great. Wait until its dark outside and then using duct tape; attach three sides of the mesh to the area around the opening. Be sure to leave the bottom of the square unattached in case any bats remain inside. This allows them enough space to climb out so they don’t get trapped inside. Don’t worry about them getting back inside; they will not be able to. Leave the mesh in place for a few weeks to allow any additional bats the chance to evacuate the premises. After this, the openings can be permanently filled with a sealer such as caulking.

Bats are nocturnal animals, meaning that they sleep during the day and are awake at night. Bats are most active during twilight. Since these winged creatures are active while it is dark out, they generally have a highly developed sense of smell and hearing to help them better adapt to the conditions.

Bats, being nocturnal creatures have a few benefits over creatures that are diurnal. The first benefit is that there is less competition for hunting, as there are fewer animal species out at this time. The second benefit is that due to the dark, they are protected by many predators. In addition, bats can camouflage themselves very well while hunting for food.

Although bats and birds can both be found soaring through the air, the two are not one in the same. In fact, bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera, and birds are well, just birds, classified as such by their feathers. A bat’s forelimbs form webbed wings, actually making them the only mammals that are naturally capable of true, sustained flight. Other mammals said to fly, such as the flying squirrel can only merely glide short distances.

A common misconception is that bats and birds fly the same way, when truthfully bats do not flap their entire forelimbs as birds do. Instead, bats can be seen flapping their spread out fingers which are long and covered with a thin membrane. That’s right, we said fingers! Not only are bats equipped with digits, they are also more flexible than those of other mammals due to their flattened cross section and low levels of minerals such as calcium, located near the tips. The skin on a bat’s wing membranes also have more elasticity, allowing them to stretch further than other animals.

Also different from a bird’s wings, a bat’s wings are much thinner, making it able for them to maneuver quickly and accurately. Unfortunately, being so thin, it is also dangerously delicate and can be ripped easily. The good news is that the tissue of a bat’s membrane is able to regrow, so any small rips he or she may encounter from time to time, will quickly heal. The surface of a bat’s wings are also equipped with touch-sensitive receptors on small bumps called Merkel cells. These cells are also found on the fingertips of a human. These sensitive areas are much different in bats however, as each bump comes packed with a tiny hair in the center, making it even more sensitive and allowing the creature to detect and collect important information about the air flowing over its wings, and allowing it to fly more efficiently by changing the shape of its wings in response.

Unfortunately, it is true that bats are endangered. There are several reasons why these poor winged creatures are slowly becoming extinct. One of the main reasons is loss of habitat. Rainforests are being destroyed and caves and nesting areas are being blocked off and/or destroyed as well, leaving these little guys homeless with nowhere else to go. This also takes away their food supply. Diseases such as White Nose Syndrome are another issue rapidly killing off the population of bats in the North American region.

Another issue related to bats becoming endangered has to do with the hibernation process. When bats hibernate during the winter, it is important that they not be disturbed. Disturbing a bat during this process can cause them to lose energy, thus making it harder for them to survive during the cold, hard, winter. Many bats unfortunately die as a result of lost or diminishing energy from being awakened during hibernation. Last but not least, bats are being murdered by humans simply for sport, out of cruelty, and out of fear. So please, the next time you find a bat in your attic, try to humanely catch it and let the little guy free, don’t kill it, as there are not many of these magnificent creatures left in the world.

Although some have referred to bats as “flying rats”, most likely due to their furry rat like appearance, or perhaps because in many languages, the word for “bat” is actually cognate with the word for “mouse”, bats are not technically considered rodents. Scientifically speaking, bats are of the mammalian order Chiroptera, while rodents are of the mammalian order Rodentia. These winged creatures were formerly thought to be most closely related to flying lemurs, tree shrews, and primates, however recent research has now indicated that they actually belong to Laurasiatheria, a diverse group also containing Carnivora and Artiodactyla.

Very little fossil evidence is available to help map the evolution of bats. This is largely due to the fact that they do not fossilize well since they have such small, delicate skeletons. However, a Late Cretaceous tooth from South America resembles that of an early microchiropteran bat. Many of the oldest known, identified bat fossils were already very similar to modern microbats. These fossils are from the early Eocene period, 52.5 million years ago. While we may not know everything there is to know about bats or how they came to be, and while rats and bats may both have similar faces, each sporting a long snout and big pointy ears, at the end of the day one thing is for sure, they are not the same.

Contrary to what many may believe, bats are not blind and some can see fairly well, even in dim light. Most fruit-eating bats have rather large eyes that help them find their way around in the dark and locate food. However, other bats, especially those that hunt for insects at night rely a lot more on their other senses in the dark.

Whatever vision bats may lack in the dark, they make up for by seeing with their ears. The technique they use is called echolocation. Bats locate objects by sending out streams of high pitched sounds through their mouth or nose. Once these signals are sent out, they bounce off of nearby objects and send echoes back to the bat. By “reading” these echoes, a bat can determine the location, distance, size, shape and even texture of an object. In some cases, a bat might even use this technique to tell if an insect is edible or not. Bats that have been blinded somehow catch their food this way and get around just fine thanks to their super sensitive ears.