Bat Week campaign extols virtues of insect eaters
Bat Week extends around the globe — but here in Alberta, know the fanged flying creatures gobble up mountains of mosquitoes.
In an effort to garner more positive press for bats, the province has launched a colouring contest for kids, attempting to educate more of the population on benefits of the small mammals.
First, bats are insectivores, meaning they eat bugs, such as moths, beetles and most importantly mosquitoes. A single brown bat can eat 600 mosquitoes in a single hour, according to the province. And bats aren’t rats with wings. They’re not rodents at all — they’re part of the mammal group Chiroptera, which means “hand wing.” And they aren’t blind, just equipped with a really good navigational system that helps them hunt at night.
When it’s warm out, they like to sleep in trees or in rock cracks and even buildings. But when the temperature dips, bats either hibernate in caves or cracks, or head south for the winter.
But hibernating bats are being hit with a deadly fungal disease called White-nose Syndrome. The disease has killed millions of bats and is moving west, warns the province, stressing that bats and their habitats must be protected.
During Bat Week, which runs Oct. 24-31, the Alberta government is asking kids to learn a thing or two about bats and draw a picture of the furry critters. Pictures — colour or black and white — can be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Parks by Nov. 4, care of jess.sinclair@gov.ab.ca, or kids can tweet their art at @Ab_enviro using the hashtag #Abbatweek.
For more bat facts, check out www.alberta.ca/bats.aspx