- Kathleen Scavone
- Posted On
The Living Landscape: Going batty
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – I've always enjoyed observing bats appear at dusk as though by magic, while I'm relaxing on the deck at dusk.
They wing their way about the woods, silently sending out sound waves to echolocate moths, mosquitoes and more.
A bat or two has surprised me by flying out of the big shade umbrella as I unfurled it.
I wasn't able to attract bats to the bat boxes attached to trees in the yard, but plan to play host to some bats as soon as I relocate the houses at the proper ten feet above ground in an open area directed to the south-southeast, with six to seven hours of sunshine.
I draw the line at my bat appreciation when they appear to show interest in my own home, however.
While tidying up outdoors beneath the chimney I noted some bat droppings or guano. At least I think that's what it is, and I'll know for sure after I have an inspection by a professional.
By doing a bit of bat research I've learned that many bats are protected species by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, due to the important role they play by consuming 50 to 100 percent of their weight in insects per night.
The CDFW's website states that, “Population declines have caused 17 of California's 24 native bat species to receive some level of state or federal protection.”
Since there are around 1,400 species of bats in the world and most are insectivorous, bats are heralded by farmers and the timber industry for their insect-suppressing abilities across the world.
Some species of bats are great at pollinating plants; in fact they are revered in Mexico where they pollinate agave, for tequila-making.
Some bats are known to aid in saving stroke victims. It turns out that there is an anti-clotting enzyme in bat saliva that can be synthesized.
Bats have supported science in other ways too, such as sonar research, advances in vaccine development and more.
Bats are mammals with a lifespan of 30 years or more. These furry critters can reach flight speeds of 60 miles per hour. Also, bats groom themselves like a cat and nurse their young – usually one 'pup' per year.
In nature, the bat's main predators are snakes, hawks, owls and raccoons. Typically bats find a snug place to roost, such as loose tree bark or tree cavities, but they may find a nice place under roof shingles, in attics or crevices in buildings to raise their pups. They can enter a crack or crevice that is less than half an inch in width!
Did you know Oct. 24 to 31 is International Bat Week? The CDFW tells us that during this time folks are invited to become “bat heroes” by informing others of the important role bats play, protect bats and their habitat, install a bat box home for bats on your property or join a citizen-science bat monitoring program.
To learn more about bats, bat box building, and learn a song called “Bats on the Brink” by Mister G a Latin GRAMMY winner, visit https://batweek.org/.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”