Getting to know more about bats
THE BAT is the only mammal that can fly and is found on all continents except the Antarctic.
They come in all sizes, from the pig-nosed bat, which measures about 30mm in length and weighs two grams (the smallest known mammal), to the flying fox from the Philippines with a wingspan of 170 cm and weighing 1.2 kilos.
Vampire legends and their nocturnal habits have given them a bad reputation they do not deserve, as they help to keep insects in check, some of which are harmful to humans, like the tiger mosquito.
Like other species, some bats live with us in towns and cities and although the number of individuals is high, they go unnoticed due to their nocturnal lifestyle. They take advantage of human construction, where any crack or hole can be used as a shelter.
Remember that the majority of bats hibernate, and therefore need a suitable place to spend the colder months.
Once spring arrives, they restart their activity. The bats that live in our area of Spain feed on insects, eating approximately a third of their body weight every night. They take advantage of lampposts and lights where insects congregate to carry out their nocturnal hunts. During the day, the bats rest after a whole night’s work leaving birds to catch insects.
The echolocation of bats
Bats that feed on insects have a sixth sense that allows them to find their shelter, fly and capture their food during the dark nights. They use the echo of their own sounds (which they emit through their nose and mouth) to locate their place in the environment. These sounds cannot be heard by humans.
A Valencia legend
Legend has it that King James was with his troops in Valencia during the war with the Saracens when a bat sought refuge in his tent. The king ordered that it was not to be disturbed.
One night, while they were all asleep, they were awakened by a mysterious noise and, thanks to this, they realised that they were about to be attacked.
When they managed to win the battle, they discovered that a bat flapping its wings on a drum had produced the noise.
In gratitude, King James placed a bat on the coat of arms of the city of Valencia and it is also the official shield of the Valencia football club. On the Costa Blanca and inland, we can find four species of bats: Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), is very small species of bat. It has a short muzzle. Is 3.5–5.2cms long along the head-and-body, with the tail adding 2.3–3.6cm. The body mass can range from 3.5-8.5 g, with the wingspan ranging from 18-25cm. It is common in woodland and farmland but is also found in towns, where the females roost in lofts and buildings when rearing young; Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhli) is a species of vesper bat, which are also microbats, they are relatively slow flying, their broader wing shape may give them a fluttery appearance as they forage for food. They make use of hollow trees, rocky crevices, animal burrows, or other forms of shelter to roost; Serotine bat also known as a silky bat, is a fairly large animal with quite large ears. It has a wingspan of around 37cm, often hunts in woodland and sometimes roosts in buildings, hanging upside down, in small groups or individually. They are easy to identify in flight, because their broad wings combined with slow, highly manoeuverable, flapping flight interspersed
with brief glides is distinctive; and European freetailed bat is also known as mastiff bat because of the presence of wrinkling on the snout. It has large, broad ears, and the muzzle has wrinkled lips, hence the name mastiff bat. Its tail is fleshy and robust, and the ear, wing and tail membranes are black. It also has an unpleasant smell. This bat’s head and body length is about 8.9cm, its tail 5.1cm. It weighs from 28g-57g. Before leaving the roost it makes a rattling sound and often emits a characteristic ‘tsick-tsick’ in flight, enabling it to be recognised by sound.
All of them feed on insects, which makes them extremely beneficial to humans.
According to the national catalogue of threatened species, all the bats in the Valencia region are catalogued as being ‘of special interest’ and are therefore protected.
Remember that they are mammals like us and therefore we share some diseases. If you come across a bat, use leather gloves or a rag to catch it. Then, if it is in good condition, release it, even though it is daylight. If it appears to be injured contact your nearest Seprona unit.