Bats are Amazing
The thing about bats is that they are amazing. They get a bad rap. But truly they are quite astounding creatures. When you consider how they see with echolocation and the precision of their movements, it totally blows my mind. They (generally) eat more mosquitoes than anything other creature and they have rabies. What could be more fun?
Okay, so there is the whole rabies thing, but the chances of being bit are extremely remote. Frankly, I would imagine you’d have a better chance of being attacked by birds. But, I would like to take you back, way back to when I first became fascinated with bats.
The year was 1994 and I was in grade 7. Curtis and I—along with some other smart students—got to become members of a new program called Junior Naturalists. We elite students would go out and learn about nature and animals. I can tell you that there are very few moments in my life where I was a bad student. I mean, I was never a great student. I just wasn’t a bad kid. However, for some reason, Curtis and I went a bit mental every time we left the school and we got ourselves into quite a bit of trouble. I can’t remember exactly what we did, except for make fun of one of the leaders for looking similar to an elephant, but I do recall getting sat down a couple of times for misbehaviour. Maybe Curtis can remember? Thinking back now, I think we may have actually been kicked out or they shut the program down.
In any case, I did take one thing from being a Junior Naturalist. For some reason, maybe they couldn’t afford multiple displays, we seemed to be constantly learning about bats. And that’s where all my information comes from today. Not only about echolocation and the eating mosquitoes and that they are the only flying mammal (I think?), but that you can build “bat houses” to encourage the population and get all the benefits of having bats including guano (their poop).
The next time, after 1994, that I would run into bats is at all the time I spent at summer camps (KBK) in the Qu’Appelle valley. There always seemed to be bats around. You could see them at night, flying around, eating mosquitoes. And we knew where they slept. Which also lead to some girls cabins having a visitor in the middle of the night (but I was never part of that). That just seemed cruel (to the bats).
Since my last time at KBK in probably 2002, I haven’t really thought about bats, until we went to Idaho on vacation. Every night, around dusk, strange birds came zipping around us and on the water. It occurred to me that they were flying very atypically for birds, making sharp turns and looping on a whim. And they were moving fast, really fast. But I had never seen bats fly with so much light. After the second night, I heard that undeniable screech and I knew that they weren’t birds, but bats eating mosquitoes. A couple times they whipped past our heads. Leah was scared, because she figured that they would get in her hair or something, but I wasn’t because I know about echolocation!
Which brings me to the point that we are one week away from owning a house. This house, I plan, is going to be the foundation to explore, learn and experiment. You might be wondering—what kind of experiments? Bat houses. Oh yes, I will invite my winged brethren to live with us and sooner or later I will become one of them.
I AM THE BAT!
Photo by Doug Bowman
8 Comments
Rhett Soveran on July 11th, 2008
Oh there are going to be bat houses! I think. Although I seem to recall that bat houses have to actually be really high up in the air. If that’s the case I may not have bat houses. But this will be further researched!
Tanya on July 11th, 2008
If you get bat houses in your yard, we are not coming to visit and I will withdraw the offer of help with painting, etc. I am not even remotely interested in myself or Chloe getting a rabies shot. I agree with Leah.
Rhett Soveran on July 11th, 2008
Tanya where is your sense of adventure? But seriously, tell us how you really feel. 
Brian on July 11th, 2008
Bat houses are actually quite common in suburban areas. They are a great way to keep the mosquitos out of your yard. I haven’t heard that they need to be real high up (eaves of a garage) but they do need to be kept in the sun with an open bottom.
I say go for it. I’ll even build one with you!
Rhett Soveran on July 11th, 2008
In your faces, wives!
Laura on July 12th, 2008
I don’t think bats need to be high either. I remember a ton living under the eaves in the sauna and canteen at Kinasao. Just be sure to not leave any standing water around. I found my fair share of floaters in the foot soaking bucket outside the sauna in my time as waterfront supervisor 
Rhett Soveran on July 13th, 2008
Laura, that is just gross.
Leah on July 11th, 2008
I agree that you are BATTY if you think there will be bat houses in our yard.