It's Bat Appreciation Month!

October is often called "Spooky season" by those on the internet, so it makes sense that one of natures creatures that is often linked to spookiness gets a month of their own. The beloved and often misunderstood bat.

There are eighteen species of bat living in the UK (which is nearly a quarter of native mammal species) and all of them hibernate over the colder, winter months. Bats are the second largest group of mammals in the world, after rodents, and can be found throughout the world. Uniquely, the arms (forelimbs) and hands of all bats are webbed to form wings which, unlike gliding animals (like the very cute flying squirrel) make bats the only mammals capable of true flight!

All British bats are insectivorous, meaning they only eat insects. Different species have their own preferences and ways of hunting, but many will feed on moths, mosquitoes, midges, beetles etc. Bats are unique in the way they catch these tiny insects; using a sound-based system called echolocation. By emitting very high frequency calls, bats are able to listen to echoes of those calls as they bounce back and use them to create an image of their surroundings. As you can probably guess, by eating lots of mosquitoes, bats really are our friends in the summer.

Sadly, the UK bat populations are dwindling fast, due to a variety of reasons. As their natural habitats have been taken away by humans, Bats have luckily adapted very well to urban environments. Commonly using our gardens as a vital food source and shelter. Your homes and gardens play an important role in ensuring a better future for bat species. Having bats means you have a green and healthy environment. 😁

Although in the UK, bats tend to be going into hibernation in October, over in the USA and Canada, they're still very active, so the UK bats will have to catch up on all the Bat Month fun when they emerge in April.

Have you ever seen a bat? Do you have bats roosting near your house? Let me know!