Texas has the largest bat population in the United States.
Getty Images
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists and agents are frequently asked about bats. This Bat Week, experts from Texas A&M AgriLifeandTexas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, offer explanations as to why bats are more friend than foe.
The benefit from bats far outweighs the risk to humans, said Dr. Terry Hensley, TVMDLassociate director, Bryan-College Station. As long as you use common sense around bats, just like any other wildlife, there isnt much to fear.
Bats play an integral part in the Texas ecosystem. Many are insectivorous, or insect-eaters, saving farmers crops from pest damage. Others are nectivorous and serve as pollinators of some types of fruits, cacti and plants with nocturnal flowers.
It is estimated that bats eat enough insects in Texas to save producers more than $1.4 billion annually in pest control costs alone. Some estimates say theyve saved as high as $53 billion worldwide, between preventing crop losses and the reduced need for pesticides annually.
Texas is home to thelargest colony of bats in the world, not to mention having the largest bat population in the U.S.
Between the millions of Mexican free-tailed bats that make Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio their home, to the iconic colony of 1.5 million that live under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, many Texans appreciate and accept these mammals.
Peoples interest in bats is so great that an online Texas A&M AgriLife Bats 101 course is currently in development. Even the annual AgriLife ExtensionBirding the Borderprogram includes bat talks, bat excursions and bat-themed events.
But some people still fear these furry flyers, usually for reasons largely unfounded.
There really are only two main diseases to worry about with bats:rabiesandhistoplasmosis, said Maureen Frank, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist in Uvalde. If a person is bitten by a bat, wash the bite and go to the doctor immediately.
However, Hensley notes that in North America, rabies really isnt a large issue. Studies have shown that less than one percent of the Texas bat population has the disease, which is fatal to bats.
Infected bats typically die quickly of the disease, limiting the amount of time they could pass it on to other animals. However, when bats hibernate, so does the disease. A bat that contracted rabies right before hibernation can live with the disease for the entire hibernation period.
Odds are slim that a bat, as long as it is left alone, would bite a person. But Hensley said a bat flopping around on the ground, something that would attract curious cats, dogs and other animals, is behavior that could indicate it has rabies.
That is precisely why we give animals rabies vaccines, he said. We want to protect our pets, but the vaccines also serve as a protective interface between ourselves and the diseases our pets could get from wildlife.
Hensley said that by vaccinating our pets we are also protecting ourselves and our families from zoonotic diseases. He also said a bite from an infected racoon or fox is a far more likely way to transmit rabies than direct contact with a bat.
Rabies can be transmitted from a bite or scratch from an infected animal. Another way is through theinhalation of aerosolized rabies virus, although that is far less common, Hensley said.
But that said, thats a reason why if a bat gets into your house, you want it out as soon as possible, he said.
Mexican free-tailed bats fly outside the Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve for a night of consuming insects in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, where more than one million bats emerge during summer evenings.
Getty Images
Bats really have little to no interest in people, so, just seeing a bat in your yard isnt reason for concern, Frank said. However, bats are nocturnal, so seeing one in your yard during daylight hours should raise a flag.
If you do see one acting erratically or on the ground, proceed with caution. This is not normal behavior, so the animal could be sick, injured or among the small percentage with rabies.
Dont mess with a bat on the ground, Hensley said. If it is on the ground, its on the ground for a reason. That is not normal behavior. It could have rabies, or it could be a young bat just learning to fly, much like a baby bird learning to leave the nest.
Hensley said another possibility could be the bat is migrating and taking a rest from traveling. Hensley suggests letting the bat leave on its own, keeping children and pets clear of it in the meantime. However, if the bat is exhibiting erratic behavior, call your local animal control.
If you suspect or see a bat bite a child or pet, it is a good idea to get the bat tested for rabies if you can safely do so. Ideally, you should never handle a bat, especially with bare hands.
Call your local animal control first, Hensley said. If you must remove it though, wear leather gloves and put something like an empty coffee can over the bat on the ground, then slide a piece of paper under the can so you can then turn it over and put on a lid.
Hensley added that you dont want to forget to poke holes in the lid so it can breathe, and then call your local vet or animal control for it to be tested for rabies.
Even if it has rabies or an injury that it needs to be euthanized for, we want to treat it as humanely as possible, he said.
As human populations grow and encroach on wildlands, more people will come in contact with wildlife and the diseases they may carry. Zoonotic diseases are those, like rabies, that can pass between different species.
Weve seen other examples of zoonotic diseases in recent years, such as SARS that originated in bats, andCOVID-19, which most likely did too, Hensley said. But bats arent to blame. They dont want to be around humans, but as we spread into the natural habitats of wildlife, we can expect to see more diseases spreading between mammals.
You dont want bats in your belfry, or in any other structure you, livestock or pets may reside in.
Bats can bekept out of buildingsby pugging the holes where they are observed coming and going. Dont close or block any entry points in the summer, however, Frank said, as this is breeding season and young bats may then be trapped inside.
If a bat does get into your home, you want it out as soon as possible, Hensley said. Open a door and windows, and let it get itself out.
If that doesnt work, call your local animal control he said.
Even though the percentage of bats with rabies in North America is quite small, if you do encounter a bat acting weird around your home or yard, you need to keep in mind that rabies is a likely cause, he said.
For more information about rabies visit the Texas Department of State Health ServicesInfectious Disease Controlwebsite.
Experts say vampire bats are not anything to lose sleep over. In fact, they are not among the 33 speciesfound in Texas.
There are three types of vampire bats whose diet consists only of blood, making them the only mammals that can survive on blood alone. And although they have been known to bite humans, were not their meal of choice.
The vampire bat is not something we need to worry about, Hensley said. They are making their way north, but we dont have to worry about them in the U.S., yet.
Vampire bats are currently found mostly in South and Central America, although they have reached parts of Mexico. These bats use their fangs to make a puncture wound in animals such as cattle and horses as they sleep, then use their tongues to lap up the blood a leisurely meal that lasts about half an hour.
As scary as some bats may seem, its important to remember that theprotectionof all bats is critical to agriculture throughout the world. Texas haslawsin place to protect bats and worldwide there are currently more than 600 endangered species of bats. Abat rescueorrehabilitation centermay also be a helpful resource.
Continued here:
Bat Week An Opportunity To Separate Fear From Fact - Texas A&M Today - Texas A&M University Today
