Bats are wild animals and should therefore not be kept as pets. The act of keeping one of these winged creatures as a pet will cause it to experience fear, inappropriate and damaging nutrition, loneliness. Furthermore, wild bats are capable of living over 25 years but unfortunately bats that are kept as bats rarely survive for more than a year.

Bats are also protected by laws at many levels. Regulations govern the taking of bats from captivity, as well as any exchange between individuals or organizations. The transfer of bats is also carefully regulated by the CDC. USDA permits from the Animal Health Inspection Service are required and special permitting regulations also now apply at the state level. There are also interstate laws that prohibit transport of these animals without special authority.

In order to keep a bat as a pet one must acquire the necessary state and local permits for native wildlife. Bats are not to be transported within the United States without a CDC permit. Even when individuals have this type of permit bats can only be transferred to an institution that is bona fide sanctuary, zoological or scientific organization or a registered establishment that has approved facilities and/or certified education programs.

Although only about 1% of bats actually carry the rabies virus, bats and other wild animals are still considered to be a rabies vector species. Special administrative codes under the Department of Health and Zoonosis Control address this issue. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for biohazard regulations that pertain to bats can be accessed online and provide valuable information regarding the issue.

As you can see, bats are difficult to keep as pets and illegal to keep as pets in most cases. It is also not fair to them, and they have a much greater chance of living a long and healthy life when left alone in the wild where they belong.

Most bats feast upon night flying insects, fruit, lizards, small rodents, or in the case of the vampire bat by drinking the blood from smaller mammals, etc. It is not common for bats to eat birds. However it was recently discovered that one species in particular might be doing just that. Giant noctules or Nyctalis lasiopterus are among the largest bats in Europe and can often be found flying thousands of feet in the air using their sonar to locate prey beneath them.

Every spring, billions of migratory songbirds in Europe fly north to their breeding grounds. Most of these birds can be found flying at night when there are fewer predators around. However, researchers have recently discovered that the giant European bats mentioned above have been plucking the migrating birds out of the night sky and making them their dinner.

This discovery took place in 2007 when the group of bat researchers spent a night recording the sounds of a marshy Spanish forest. When they played the recordings back at full speed the only thing they could hear were the croaking of frogs. However when they played the recordings back at one-tenth the normal speed, they noticed audible shrieks (the sonar call of the giant noctule bat.)

This giant bat is hairy and brown and has a wingspan slightly bigger than a blue jay’s. It spends most of its time hiding out in the tops of tall trees. It is one of Europe’s largest bats and has a very large mouth full of scary looking teeth. This bat is also one of the least known bats in all of Europe.

It has been well known for a long time that these specific bats feed on flying insects but the discovery of them eating songbirds came as quite a surprise to researchers. In fact, they might be the only bat that eats birds.

It is thought that the giant European bat starts its hunt thousands of feet in the night sky where it can use its sonar calls to lock in on the migrating birds beneath it. Once the giant winged creature locates the bird it swoops in for the kill and wraps the bird between its wings and tail membrane, trapping the bird in a sort of death cage. The bats eat only the profitable parts of the bird such as the breast where the birds accumulate the most fat and muscle.

Once these bats get close to the ground they can be found opening their giant wings and dropping the mangled carcasses below. Although their have not yet been any sightings of this bat eating birds, researchers have confirmed the theory as they have been pulling feathers out of the bat’s feces (guano) for years. Blood and tissue tests also confirm that the birds are a major food source for the giant noctule bats.

Even more interesting were the tests that were performed by researchers. The team compared the different chemical fingerprints that both insects and birds leave in the bats that have eaten them. (Eww). Surprisingly enough, researchers found that in the summer, the bats are only eating insects, but during the spring and fall migrations, they are eating a lot of birds.

While these gigantic bats are far too rare to pose a major threat to the migratory songbird, the bat’s choice of food is still attracting plenty of attention and many scientists find the bat’s diet fascinating. Researchers are continuing their studies and are working with electronic radars in the hopes of catching one of the bats as it hones in on a flying songbird.

Bats do not and cannot chew through screen, wood, walls, or other building materials. However, it is quite common for people to make this misconception. Ironically enough, screen and/or mesh are often recommended for deterring bats from buildings and/or homes and can be put up anytime other than a bat’s maternity season to keep bats away.

A bat’s maternity season is June through August. These months should be avoided for blocking off bats as baby bats are born unable to fly and if trapped inside could starve to death.

Rodents are more likely to chew through building materials and bats are often blamed for a mouse chewing through screens or building materials if the two are residing in the same area at the same time. Bats are more likely to sneak into a person’s walls or attic by squeezing through a tiny crack or crevice.

It is possible for bats to carry bed bugs. Some species of bed bugs are parasites of bats and birds and may bite people if the wild hosts are no longer available or if a bat or bird is roosting or nesting nearby.

Although similar in overall appearance, the species of bed bugs that normally feed on bats, swallows, chimney swifts, pigeons, and other wild hosts can be differentiated from those that prefer humans. If bat or bird bed bugs are present, roosting and nesting sites should be the primary focus and these creatures should be removed from the building.

Despite what you may have heard, bats do not chew through wood, walls, or other building materials like mice or other rodents do. However, they have been known to squeeze in through tiny cracks or crevices or kick out some insulation as they enter and exit walls or attics.

If you are worried about a bat getting in through your walls there are many types of building materials that you can purchase to try and keep them out. Mesh, caulking, screening, etc. work great for this. However, it is very important that individuals not close off openings during a bat’s mating season (June-August) as baby bats are not born able to fly and you could trap them inside to die or starve to death if they are unable to get out or their mother is unable to get back in. Some baby bats take weeks to learn how to fly. It is best to wait and bat proof your home after maternity season.

Bats are the only mammals capable of true sustained flight. Their forelimbs are wings made of two thin layers of skin stretched over arms, 4 fingers and a thumb. A bat”s fingers are very long compared to its body and their wings go all the way down their body and partway down their legs. The muscles in a bat”s fingers are also very strong, making it easy for them to connect their claws to hang onto hard surfaces. Unlike birds that flap their wings up and down, bats “swim” through the air with wing beats as rapid as 20 beats per second.

It is true that bats can climb trees. Their thumbs extend out of the wing as a small claw which they use to latch onto hard surfaces and climb. This also helps them reach a high launching point for flight takeoff. You may spot a bat walking and/or climbing with their wings folded or you may spot them hanging upside down in a tree, sometimes by one hindfoot, or swinging from tree branch to tree branch.

These winged creatures have been around for about 50 million years and have also not changed much over the years. Scientists believe that they may have evolved from mammals that could climb in and live in trees and leap through the air from branch to branch to catch insects. It is also a possibility that over the years a bat”s wings may have evolved from limbs.

Contrary to popular belief, most bats do not carry rabies. However, it is possible for these winged creatures to carry the deadly virus, but only about 1% of bats actually have it. Furthermore, you cannot tell just by looking at a bat whether or not it has rabies. It can only be confirmed in a laboratory. However, individuals should keep in mind that any bat that is seen being active during the day or is found in a place where bats are not usually seen could be rabid. In addition, bats that are unable to fly and/or are easily approached could also be sick with the virus so it is important to stay away from them.

Rabies caused by bats in humans is very rare in the United States. There are actually only about one or two human cases per year. However, the most common way for people to get rabies in the US is through contact with a bat. Rabies is fatal and should not be taken lightly. Awareness of bats and rabies can help protect individuals, their families, and their pets. Never handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear to be friendly. In addition, teach your children to do the same. Wash any wound from an animal with soap and water right away and seek medical attention immediately.

Never ignore getting bitten by a wild animal such as a bat. If you have been bitten you need to seek medical attention immediately and will most likely be given a rabies shot, otherwise you could die. Have all dead, sick, or easily approached or captured bats tested for rabies if exposure to people or pets occurs. Preventing bats from entering living quarters is also crucial to minimizing one’s risk of contracting the rabies virus.

Despite what you may have heard,Bats are unlike rodents in that they will not chew their way through walls, wood, or other building materials. However, they may be able to squeeze through a crack or crevice in your walls, attic, or porch.

If you are worried about a bat getting into your house somehow there are many effective materials you cam use to keep them out. For instance, foam caulking, flashing, screening, mesh, screening, insulation, stainless steel wool, or stainless steel rustproof scouring pads are all excellent materials to block narrow cracks and keep bats out of your home, attic, or walls.