Bats Overhead!

First I want to thank all of you for participating in my "3 Quick Questions" post. It was so nice to get that little glimpse into your lives and get to know my fellow bloggers and readers a little better. I especially enjoyed hearing about your latest projects.

Now, on to today's subject which is about bats. Bats are nothing new to me since I work with wildlife at the clinic but last night was my first experience with them flying over my head. Normally they are handed to me in a box or a bucket, and they are usually orphaned or injured. But last night I took Bubba (the cute little guy in the picture above) potty and I went out with him like I usually do after dusk because I'm afraid of coyotes getting him. There they were, flying around my backyard like they owned the place! So creepy!!!

I though it would be a perfect opportunity to share a couple of facts about the little guys. There are a lot of misconceptions about them so I gathered some information to share. Did you know:

1. Bats are very clean animals and are constantly grooming themselves.
2. In Indonesia they have fruit bats (flying foxes) that have a wingspan of almost 6 feet.
3. There are over 1200 known species of bats. Most are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
4. One little brown bat (myotis) can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in an hour.
5. Almost 40% of American bat species are in severe decline or endangered.
6. Their wings are actually skin that is stretched over their "fingers."
7. Bats are NOT big spreaders of rabies like people think.