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Bats
Bats are mammals, not flying rats. They are the only species of mammal capable of true flight. Most other mammals that can soar through the air usually just glide from one place to the next.
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Bat wings are really evolved forearms and fingers. The "ribs" of bat wings are actually fingers they use to fly by moving those digits rather than just flapping their wings like a bird. The spaces between those fingers are covered with a thin membrane that allows bats to fly.
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Approximately 70% of bats are insectivores, which means that their primary food source is insects. Bats can devour huge amounts of mosquitoesand other annoying insects. Some species of bat are fruit-eaters and at least one bat species are fish-eaters. Not to mention the vampire bats that feed on blood.
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Bats are located throughout the world and their varieties are many. The smallest bat is barely an inch long and is known as the Katti's Hog-Nosed Bat or Bumblebee Bat. The largest have wingspans up to five-feet and are called Golden-Crowned Flying Foxes.
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Not all bats are nocturnal. Some bats do use echolocation (using sound to navigate) to fly and hunt at night, but many species of fruit bats (such as the flying foxes) have outstanding eyesight and fly during the day. Some bats eat while flying, but some species actually walk on the ground to feed.
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There are many different kinds of bat species around the world. There are several species that you might see around your home or business. They include:
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Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) - like their name suggests these are brown-colored bats. They are actually medium-sized compared to other bats and their faces and fore-limbs are darker in color, sometimes black. They feed on insects at night, but will roost anywhere they can find during the day including shutters and eaves.
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Red Bats (Lasiurus blossevillii) - another medium-sized bat common in the western part of the United States that is covered in red fur. They eat a lot of insects such as cicadas, moths, and beetles. Red bats like to burrow under leaves during the day rather than in caves or under eaves.
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California myotis (Myotis californicus) - a small bat with pale fur. You can often see them at dusk and just before dawn feeding on flies, moths and some other flying insects. They like to hide during the day in trees, rock crevices and sometimes in parts of buildings.
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Little brown bats (Myotis yumanensis) - small bats about three inches long. They love to eat flying insects with soft bodies such as moths. Some species will even feed off of insects around the surface of slow-moving water.
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Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) - if you have ever looked at a bottle of Bacardi Rum, then you've seen a Mexican free-tailed bat. They are common in the western United States and are small bats - about three-inches long and most of that is their tail. Their fur comes in brown and gray and they have large ears that help them with their echolocation.
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What Diseases Do Bats Carry?
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Although bats are beneficial in helping control insect populations, such as mosquitoes, and they do things like pollinate plants and spread fruit seeds, they are known as pests for a reason. They are often the source for several diseases such as:
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Rabies - probably the most common disease associated with bats. This is a disease transmitted via bat bite and they can transmit it to animals and people. Rabies makes victims very sick and left untreated is fatal.
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Histoplasmosis - a disease that generally attacks the lungs. It is caused from bat dung (guano) that they leave behind in abundance. A fungus grows in the guano and it can cause this serious illness. Bats that set up colonies in your attic can leave droppings that have the potential to become dangerous.
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In other parts of the world, outside of North America, bats have been linked to diseases like Marburg, Ebola, Nipah and Hendra.
Bats can also leave behind parasites such as bat bugs, which resemble bed bugs and can get into your home. Western Exterminator are bat pest control experts who can provide you with fast and professional service.