Bats
our night time friends
Bats are the major nocturnal insect predator who hunt many harmful garden and forest pests. Bats are not aggressive, and they do not tangle in peoples hair. If handled they bite in self defense, but they will not attack. If you find bats in a cave retrace your steps and exit the cave immediately. The one exception is when you encounter bats roosting singly in the summer. These are males who are just hanging out away from the females and kids. Clumps of roosting bats or bats swarming within a cave in the summer indicates a nursery colony. Human intrusion will often lead to pups being dropped or abandoned. Bats enter hibernation with a finite reserve of energy to see them through to spring. Disturbing bats in the winter will cause them to use this energy to wake up, and they will likely starve before spring arrives. It takes up to an hour for a bat to become fully awake, so while a bat you encounter may appear undisturbed, it will become active after you have departed. You are requested to report bats sighted within a cave to this WEB site through the guest book.Bats are noted for their cleanliness and lack of disease, but as with most mammals bats can become infected by the rabies virus. A rabid bat just wants to be left alone, and will not chase you. If you are bitten by a bat or any other warm blooded animal, wild or domestic, and you are not positive it has had its rabies shots, seek medical advice at once.
RM