Witchcraft. Black magic. Vampires. Disease. Villains of darkness. Batman. Dracula. Good and evil.

These are the legacies of the only flying mammal. The bat.

They make up 20 percent of all mammal species. Ten of those species are
most likely darting around your house once dusk descends on the Mountain.
The most common of these in our community is the little brown myotis
(pictured above – in full insect attack mode).

But like many creatures, bats are little understood and consequently get a bad
rap.

“Bats are fascinating creatures and are important in maintaining healthy
ecosystems,” said Susan Barnes, regional conservation biologist for the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Bats are in trouble and need help.”
Our bats are insect eaters. They devour airborne and grounded pests. A bat
can consume one-third of its body weight in insects in a single night. So
imagine their worth when coupled with the fact they have a life span of 30-35
years.

In other words, without bats we’d be at the mercy of the insect population.
Still, there’s that whole blood-sucking part.
In truth, vampire bats are confined to Mexico, Central and South America.
Some of these hoary characters dine exclusively on blood. Their favorite
cuisine is the blood of sleeping cattle – but humans are not omitted as an
occasional option.

On the Mountain, no worries.

Here are a few of our neighborhood flying mammals:
Hoary bat – The largest of our area’s bats, it boasts a wingspan of 16 inches.
It is surprisingly colorful with a dark mask and yellow-orange throat. They
roost in our trees and like to feed around permanent outdoor lights. (That’s
where the insects congregate.) It flies at great speeds and migrates south in
winter, returning to the Mountain in spring.

Little brown bat – Our most common member, it operates on a wingspan of
10 inches. They live in the forest but can also be found in buildings. Their
numbers are in decline.

Big brown bat – This is the species most often seen as it prefers human
structures for roosting and is relatively slow in flight. It is a social creature,
preferring to live in colonies.

Echolocation
Bats are not blind, no matter how the old myth persists. Quite simply, they
have a better system. Bats emit ultrasonic sounds with the expressed purpose
of producing echoes. By comparing the outgoing signal with the echo, the
brain and auditory nervous system supplies a detailed image of the
surroundings. This echolocation allows bats to detect, localize and specifically
identify their prey in complete darkness. The ultrasonic sound they emit is so
intense they must contract their middle ear muscles to avoid deafening
themselves. The time it takes for the echo allows the bat to relax those
muscles. The delay also defines the distance to their prey.

Disease
Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of bats carry rabies, and those that do tend
to not be aggressive and soon die of the disease. But because of this we
should avoid contact with bats. If bitten contact a doctor immediately.

A bat in the house
First rule: never touch the bat. Like any animal, in distress it will bite and has
the sharp teeth to get the job done. If one enters your house, close all closet
doors. They love to roost, and a closet too closely resembles a cave. Open a
single door and wait. Eventually the bat will find its way out.

“Many of Oregon’s bats are protected by wildlife laws which mean it is illegal
to harm or kill them,” Barnes reminds us. “There is no reason to kill bats
unless it is for disease testing purposes.”

One of the most helpful things we can do for bats besides learning about them
and appreciating them more is to manage for more big trees and more dead
and dying trees. Big, mature trees like the Douglas fir have deeply furrowed
bark which provides bats with numerous roosting spots.

“The other thing is to avoid and minimize use of chemicals including
herbicides and pesticides,” Barnes said. “Forest landowners and agricultural
producers have an especially important role to play in helping conserve our
bats. And they have many benefits to reap if they do so. Bats are known for
consuming ag and forest pest insects and producing natural fertilizer.”

Also, good bat roosts are hard to find. Consider providing a bat house.

Instructions are available from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, or
houses can be purchased at nature stores.

We don’t have to go batty, but preserving this flying mammal makes good
sense. You don’t need echolocation to understand, appreciate and protect
these too-often-maligned creatures.

(Some Bat Facts were provided bv Wikipedia.)