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Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps; 12-member jury sworn in for Trump's historic criminal trial; Healthcare decision planning important for CT residents; Debt dilemma poll: Hoosiers wrestle with college costs.

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Washington's Bats are "Rock Stars"

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Friday, October 31, 2014   

SEATTLE - Bats are one of the stars for Halloween celebrations tonight, and part of this week's "National Bat Week" observance is bat myth-busting for the 15 species of bats that live in Washington. Dianne Odegard, outreach coordinator at Bat Conservation International, says once you get to know bats, you realize they are "rock stars" especially because they keep damaging insects under control.

And while you've probably heard the phrase "blind as a bat," it turns out that bats are not blind.

"Bats are not flying mice, are not even closely related to rodents," says Odegard. And bats won't get in your hair because your hair is an obstacle to bats. They echolate, they won't run into your hair or anything else around you."

Odegard says it is true bats can be infected with rabies, although very few are, but it's important not to touch bats. And vampire bats? Odegard confirms there are three species that feed on blood, mostly cattle blood, but none in North America, except for the small colony at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

She adds Ebola has put bats in an additional negative light, because it is thought that the virus is spread to humans through a bat connection. She points out that the bats thought to be a vector for the disease are not the ones we have in the U.S.

The Washington Department of Wildlife lists nine bat species as "Species of Special Concern." The federal government lists eight species in Washington as possible future listings under the Endangered Species Act. Odegard explains bats are sensitive to habitat loss, wind turbine hazards, mining, pesticides and cave tourism and vandalism.

"Whether it's intentional or unintentional, and whether they're direct or indirect, we can have huge, devastating impacts on bat populations," she says. "Bat populations are in serious trouble, with many of them endangered species at this point."

She adds up to 99 percent of some bat populations in eastern states have died because of white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection. Most of the echolocation sounds emitted by bats can't be heard by humans, but some of the range is audible.



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