What is a bat dangerous for humans and how to avoid a collision with unexpected neighbors

Hello! I remember how very scared I was when I first saw a bat.

This was not a sight for the faint of heart. Then there was a moment when the bats settled in my barn. I did not find out about this right away.

Although many said that there was nothing wrong with that, I still decided to get rid of them carefully. Do you want to know why a bat is dangerous for humans? What are the consequences of contact with her? In the article below I will tell you in detail about these animals.

Can a bite a bat and how dangerous is it for humans

Bats play an important role in our ecosystem. However, they are also associated with deadly diseases for humans. You should find out how you can stay safe when the bats are nearby.

The diseases they spread

There are only a few deadly diseases that are associated with bats.

Infection with rabies most often occurs when a person is bitten by a rabid animal during an attack. This disease can also be transmitted when the saliva of a rabid animal comes in contact with a person’s mouth, eyes, nose or a fresh wound.

When a person becomes infected with rabies, the timely administration of a vaccine, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), can prevent infection.

Once a person becomes infected and symptoms begin to manifest, rabies almost always ends in death. More than 55 thousand people die from rabies every year, only in the USA up to 30,000 people receive PPC due to possible contact with a rabid animal, including bats.

In addition, histoplasmosis is caused by a fungus that grows in soil and material contaminated with animal droppings, including bats. Litter, also known as bat guano, can contaminate the soil and cause the release of infectious spores.

While most infected people have no visible side effects, antifungal drugs are used to treat many forms of the disease.

Bats and Diseases Around the World

Even though rabies and histoplasmosis can be found all over the world, some diseases associated with bats can be found exclusively in certain regions of the world.

One of these diseases is Marburg hemorrhagic fever, which occurs exclusively in Africa. Past outbreaks have shown that Marburg hemorrhagic fever kills up to 90% of those infected.

While its host has been unknown for many years, a new study suggests that winged birds are a natural source of the virus and that it was re-isolated from bats in Uganda.

The same may be true for Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The virus that causes this disease is often called the "cousin" of the Marburg virus, as they are the only distinctive viruses that belong to the group of viruses known as filoviruses.

Like Marburg, Ebola is very deadly and is found mainly in Africa. Recent studies show that, like in Marburg, bats are most likely to be a natural source of this virus, although not a single Ebola virus has been isolated from bats.

The other two viruses, Nipah and Hendra, are also associated with bats. Studies show that the Hendra virus is associated with winged birds (commonly called flying foxes) in Australia.

Nipah and related viruses are also associated with the same group of bats in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, although outbreaks in the human body are still limited to Malaysia, Singapore, India and Bangladesh.

Both viruses can cause serious respiratory and neurological diseases in humans.

Another group of viruses known as coronaviruses has been found in several species of bats. A coronavirus infection can sometimes cause a mild respiratory illness in a person, but these viruses also participated in the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Southeast Asia.

In addition, Lyssaviruses has been detected on all inhabited continents. In addition to other diseases that can be fatal to humans, this group of viruses causes rabies.

While modern rabies vaccines are effective against many viruses in this group, several Lyssaviruses found in Africa and Asia are primarily associated with bats and cannot be cured by existing rabies vaccines.

Further research may shed light on the role of bats as a source of these viruses and their ability to transmit diseases to humans. Be careful in areas where bats are found.

Be sure to find bats that often hibernate or perch in remote places in caves. It is also important to avoid contact with the litter of mice. Whenever possible, do not enter the caves, in which, as you know, there is a population of bats.

In addition, you should take a flashlight with you to the cave to better determine the presence of bats and other animals. If the bats are in close proximity, look at the rest of the cave or move to a place in the cave where there are no bats.

Some bats also perch in tree hollows or in foliage, and can be seen in areas where outdoor activities are held, for example, where camping is set up.

Nevertheless, in the open air it is worth taking precautions to minimize the risk of contact with bats and their secretions:

1. Whenever possible, prevent bats from getting into open living and other isolated spaces;
2. Screens or a mosquito net can serve as a barrier against direct contact with the bat;
3. Teach your children never to touch living or dead bats, or any unfamiliar wild or domestic animals (even if they are friendly). Tell them to tell adults immediately about any contact and unusual animal behavior.

Some materials contaminated with bat droppings may need to be disposed of or decontaminated. In these situations, local and state authorities can provide more detailed information on the requirements for the disposal, transportation and disposal of contaminated material.

Cleaning areas contaminated with bat droppings should not be carried out by untrained personnel and without appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including a respirator, mask, cloak and gloves, do not transfer any potentially infectious material untreated.

Some bats live in buildings and can continue to do so with minimal risk to their inhabitants. If they are not able to access the residential area, the possibility of contact with people is very low.

However, bats should always be prevented from invading your home. For best results, contact a homeless animal trader or wildlife conservation agency and ask for help.

If you decide to check your room for bats yourself, here are some tips:

Most bats stay in the fall or winter to winter, so this is the best time to examine your home. In the summer, many young bats cannot fly, if adult bats are excluded at this time, young animals can be trapped inside.

Safely catch and get rid of the dead

If a bat is present in your home, contact a homeless animal specialist or Wildlife Agency for assistance.

In such cases, use precautions to safely catch the bat, as described below.

First you need:

• leather work gloves (put them on);
• a small box or can of coffee;
• piece of cardboard;
• Scotch.

Steps to take to catch a bat:

If potential contact has not occurred, the bat can be safely released outside your home.If there is a bite or contact with saliva (for example, it has got into the mouth, eyes of a person, or a fresh wound), contact the animal welfare institution for measures to be taken for rabies testing.

In these conditions, follow these steps to safely get rid of a dead bat:

1. Cover it with a cardboard box or container;
2. Insert the cardboard or plastic cover under the box (container) so that the bat is inside.
3. Take her out of the room until representatives of the animal control service arrive to safely get rid of the bat.

Treatment after potential contact

If you have been bitten or bat saliva has got into your eyes, nose, mouth or wound, rinse the affected area thoroughly and consult a doctor immediately.

For example:

• If a person wakes up and discovers a bat in his room.
• If you find a bat in the room where the child was unattended;
• If you saw a bat near a person with a disability.

If the above has been the case, consult a doctor immediately. In all circumstances, contact your local or state health department for medical care and rabies bat testing.

When this is not possible and you cannot find out if the bat was infected with rabies and if there was any contact at all, the following actions will be required.

When bat droppings, saliva, or other discharges were found nearby, carefully monitor your health, especially any manifestation of fever, chills, headache, muscle pain.

If these symptoms appear after you have been to an area with bats, seek medical attention and be sure to mark your presence in this area with the date.

Look around, there may also be notes nearby and pay attention to the latest date, especially if you are in African countries. This is especially important if less than a month has passed since the potential contact with bats.

Safe life with bats

Even though bats sometimes serve as carriers of diseases, they can coexist peacefully with people and bring many benefits.

In addition, bat research has contributed to medical advances, including the development of navigational aids for the blind. Unfortunately, many local bat populations were destroyed, and many species are threatened with extinction.

Can a human bite a bat: what is dangerous

Bats are usually not the first to attack and are not as dangerous to humans as is commonly believed. But such a creature can bite if it feels danger and decides to defend itself. What threatens a bite of a bat for a person, what might be its consequences?

What dangerous species of animals exist that sometimes attack people where they live, what types of diseases do they endure, and what should be done to someone who has been bitten by a bat? Read about all this in an article.

Hazardous species

Bats, due to their physiological characteristics, are assigned by experts to the order of bats.

There are few species that fish become food for. In South America, there are 3 species that feed on the blood of vertebrates.

Do not panic, such species do not inhabit the territory of our country.

During the day, all types of bats prefer to be in their homes, being active with dusk and night. These creatures use echolocation in order to freely navigate in space.

Its principle is simple, the animal emits sounds that the human ear is not able to hear. Then the organs of his senses pick up the echo, which tend to be reflected from the things and objects encountered on the way.

The fruitiest dog is considered to be the cutest member of the family. She has large and wide-open eyes, an elongated nose. Some species of mice got their names precisely in the shape of the nose - smooth-nosed, pig-bearing, horseshoe-bred.

The white bat has a “horn” on its face, which gives the nose a petal shape. In a bulldog mouse, a cartilaginous fold is located in the transverse direction on the muzzle. Excellent echolocation in bat bat, thanks to the presence of huge auricles.

Dangerous body features

The body of mice is usually covered with thick and hard hair, on the muzzle are located specially designed to improve echolocation growths. In some species, the size of the auricles is equal to half the total length of the body along with the tail.

These ears are considered the largest among all mammals, if we compare them with body size. To fly animals allow the front modified limbs. Between the second and fifth fingers they have a characteristic leather membrane.

Some species received from nature a membrane located at the back and connecting the hind limbs and the tail. Tenacious and strong claws allow the flying animal to stay even on the smallest bulges of any surface.

The animal has small, but very sharp teeth. If a bat bites a person, he may not even feel it. Blood-sucking species can bite their prey even in a dream.

Where to meet

Most often, such animals are found in forests and caves. In cities, they began to settle as a result of deforestation and the development of caves by humans, which is dangerous for bats forced to look for new habitats. Many of these animals fly with the arrival of twilight nearby forest plantations. Flying them from afar is similar to flying swallows or swifts.

If an animal is found in its house, you can not take it with your bare hands. Wear tight gloves and remove the mouse from the home. You should not regard the confusion of mice in white bedding drying on the street or blond hair as an attempt on a person.

Since there are a lot of insects flying near light objects at night, the animal just wants to get food.

Rabies

Many people care about the following question, but what will be the bite of such a creature for a person? It is the carrier of 7 rabies genotypes, of which a person is not able to become infected with all, but only three.

Moreover, the classic virus that wolves, foxes and other species of wild animals have is not found in bats. The remaining two genotypes are very difficult to get infected.

It is only inside the body of animals. Even if many mice live in the vicinity of the apartment building, they are unlikely to harm humans.

Since in the families living nearby human habitation, only a couple of sick individuals are found. And even if, upon detection on his territory, he takes a sick animal with his hands on which to wear tight gloves to take him out into the street, he will not bite them.

You calmly let him go and do not get rabies. Animals in the colonies have a high titer of rabies antibodies.

Remember that these animals are in the Red Book and are protected by law. And in view of the fact that the population is poorly informed about the low degree of danger posed by animals, their shelters seek to destroy and kill themselves.

What to do with a bite

You can’t just watch a person after a bat bite and not be able to do anything. The animal that bit the person was most likely very scared. You should immediately treat the wound with an antiseptic, which is at hand, and smear the bite site with an ointment with an antibiotic.

From the moment of a bite to the appearance of its symptoms, an average of 10-60 days pass. Typical symptoms are low-grade fever, itching and pain in the scar area, headaches, fatigue, nausea and difficulty swallowing, high sensitivity to irritants from the outside, disturbance of normal sleep.

After 3 to 4 days, auditory and visual hallucinations, aggression, and a sharp increase in temperature are added to them.

The appearance of foam from the mouth is also characteristic. In the last stage, if timely vaccination is not carried out, limb paralysis, malfunction of the pelvic organs, and damage to the cranial nerves are observed. The result is a painful death.

What could be dangerous vampire bats?

Blood is an important food source in a constant war for survival among animals. Claws, jaws, beaks and teeth make their way through the flesh to reach protein-rich blood from a vein, a source of nutrition and strength. Among them, there are creatures that feed only on blood.

These are insects that know millions of ways to get it and vampire bats are the only species of mammals that feed exclusively on blood. These vampires are becoming menacing in the imagination of people, many legends are composed about them.

But do these mammals correspond to their notoriety, why are they called vampires, and are bats dangerous for humans? Creature vampire bats are really very strange. They need blood to live. These are not insects, but possess the same habits as blood-sucking insects.

Like many blood-sucking insects, vampire mice feed exclusively on blood, and they prefer a hidden attack under the cover of darkness. To do this, they have an incredible trick to quietly sneak up on their victims.

The target of these bloodsuckers' attacks is usually cattle, which they climb up at night.

They cause blood to flow from the wound, injecting coagulants into it - substances that prevent clotting. This is another trait that combines vampire bats with insects. As soon as a thick liquid flows out of the victim’s body, they lick it.

At one meal, the vampire bat drinks about two tablespoons of blood. They do not need water, since they receive the necessary amount of liquid with cow blood. But contrary to legend, they are completely indifferent to human blood.

Although in the wild they sometimes bite people, suffering a disease such as rabies, this is the only danger that comes from vampire bats to humans. Among bloodsuckers there are far more dangerous creatures.

Are bats dangerous for humans?

Bats are small fluffy animals, expertly snooping around in the sky, at dusk. Almost all types of bats lead a nocturnal lifestyle, resting during the day, hanging their heads down, or hiding in a hole.

It is not realistic to consider a mouse in flight; their flapping flight is very different from the flight of birds and insects, surpassing them in maneuverability and aerodynamics.

The average speed of bats in flight is from 20-50 km / h. Their wings have brushes with long fingers connected by a thin but strong leathery membrane.

This membrane is stretched 4 times, without tears and damage. During the flight, the mouse performs symmetrical wing flaps, holding them tightly against itself, much denser than other flying animals, thereby improving the aerodynamics of its flight.

Bats are also able to hang in the air like insects, making quick flapping of wings.

Echolocation

For orientation, bats use echolocation rather than vision. During the flight, they send ultrasonic pulses, which are reflected from various objects, including living ones (insects, birds), and are captured by the auricles.

The intensity of ultrasonic signals sent by the mouse is very high, and in many species reaches up to 110-120 decibels (passing train, jackhammer). However, the human ear does not hear them.

Echolocation helps the mouse not only navigate in flight by maneuvering in a dense forest, but also control the flight altitude, hunt, pursue prey, and look for a place for daytime sleep.

Bats often sleep in groups, despite the small size, they have a high level of socialization.

Bats Songs

Among mammals (except humans), bats are the only ones who use very complex vocal sequences for communication. It sounds like bird songs, but much more complicated.

In winter, part of the bats migrate to warmer regions, and part hibernates, hibernating.

Conservation status

All European species of bats are protected by many international conventions, including the Berne Convention (European animal welfare) and the Bonn Convention (migratory animal welfare). In addition, they are all listed in the International Red Book of IUCN.

Part of the species as threatened with extinction, and part as vulnerable, requiring constant monitoring. Russia has signed all international agreements for the protection of these animals. All species of bats are also protected by domestic law.

That is why, neither the sanitary inspection authorities nor the veterinary ones simply have the right to take any measures in relation to the bats found in the city, and people are not legally entitled to destroy the habitats of mouse colonies and the mice themselves.

Interesting Facts

1. There is an international bat night. This holiday is celebrated on September 21, in order to draw attention to the problems of survival of these animals. In Russia, this environmental holiday has been celebrated since 2003.
2. In one hour, a bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes, which in terms of human weight will be approximately 20 pizzas.
3. Bats are not obese.
4. Bats sing songs at high frequencies.
5. The saliva of bats contains a thrombolytic, with which you can create a medicine against pressure and stroke.
6. Bats can change their own body temperature in the range up to 50 degrees.
7. Bats cannot take off from the ground. To fly, they need to "rush down."
8. In Chinese, the words “bat” and “happiness” sound the same.
9. Among the bats there is a subfamily of vampires who drink the blood of animals.
10. Bats have a very fast metabolism. They can fully digest a hearty dinner in 20 minutes.

Bat

A bat is an animal that belongs to the class of mammals, the order of bats, and the order of bats (lat. Microchiroptera).

Bats got their name not because they are relatives of mice belonging to the rodent order, but most likely due to their small size and the emitted sounds similar to a mouse squeak.

Birds, which are often called bats, bats, fruit bats, differ from bats in their structure, habits and abilities.

Bats are small-sized mammals. The smallest representative of the suborder is the swine bat (lat.Craseonycteris thonglongyai). Its weight is 1.7-2.0 g, body length varies from 2.9 to 3.3 cm, and the wingspan reaches 16 cm.

This is one of the smallest animals in the world. One of the largest bats is the giant pseudo-vampire (lat.Vampyrum spectrum), which has a wingspan of up to 70-75 cm, a wing width of 15-16 cm and a mass of 150-200 g.

The structure of the skull in different species of bats is different, as well as the structure and number of teeth. Both that and another depends on a food of a species. For example, in a tailless, long-tailed leaf-bearing beetle (Lat. Glossophaga soricina), the front part of the skull is elongated to accommodate its long tongue, which it takes out food.

Bats, like other mammals, have a heterodontic dental system, including incisors, canines, ankles and molars. Individuals that eat thick chitin-coated insects have larger teeth and longer fangs than those that eat soft-coated insects.

Small insectivorous bats can have up to 38 small teeth, and vampires only 20. Vampires do not need many teeth, since they do not need to chew food, but their fangs, designed to make a bleeding wound on the victim’s body, are sharp as a razor. In fruit-eating bats, the upper and lower cheek teeth resemble mortars and pestles, in which the fruits are ground.

During evolution, the forelimbs of bats were transformed into wings. The humerus was shortened, and the fingers lengthened, they serve as the skeleton of the wing. The first finger with the claw is free.With its help, animals move in shelter and make manipulations with food.

In some species, for example, in smoky bats (lat. Furipteridae), the first finger is non-functional. The second, third and fourth fingers strengthen the part of the wing between the first and fifth and form the interdigital membrane, or the apex of the wing.

The fifth finger is extended over the entire width of the wing. The humerus and shorter radius bones support the body membrane, or the base of the wing, which serves as the bearing surface. The speed of the bat depends on the shape of the wings. They can be very long or slightly elongated.

Bats of small and medium sizes during the search for prey fly at a speed of 11 to 54 km / h. The fastest flying animal is the Brazilian folded lip (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis) from the genus of bulldog bats, which can reach speeds of up to 160 km / h.

The hind limbs of bats, unlike other mammals, are turned to the sides with the knee joints back. Animals hang on them in shelters with the help of well-developed claws. Some species are able to move on all four limbs.

For example, an ordinary vampire (lat. Desmodus rotundus) during a hunt, landing on or near the victim’s body, walks up to the place where he makes a bite.

Bats have a tail of various lengths:

• partially enclosed in the femoral membrane, with a free tip located on top of it, as in the case of sack-wings (Latin Emballonuridae);
• completely enclosed in the femoral membrane, as in night-glasses (Latin Myotis);
• protruding beyond the femoral membrane, as in the folded lips (Latin Molossidae);
• a long free tail, like that of mouse tails (lat.Rhinopoma).

The body, and sometimes the limbs of mammals, is covered with hair. The coat of a bat can be even or shaggy, short or genuine, sparse or thick. The color of bats is dominated by gray, brown, black tones.

Some animals are painted lighter - in fawn, whitish, yellowish shades. Occasionally there are bright specimens. For example, in a Mexican fish-eating bat (lat. Noctilio leporinus), the fur is yellow or orange.

There are white bats with yellow ears and a nose - these are Honduran white bats (lat. Ectophylla alba).

Bats have a unique hearing. It is the leading sensory organ in these animals. For example, false horseshoes (lat. Hipposideridae) catch the rustling of insects, swarming in the grass or under a layer of leaves.

On the ears of many bats there is a tragus - a narrow skin and cartilage outgrowth rising from the base of the ear. It serves to enhance and better perceive sound.

Vision in bats is poorly developed. There is no color vision at all. But still bats are not blind, and some even see quite well. For example, Californian leaf-bearing (Latin Macrotus californicus) sometimes, with appropriate lighting, searches for prey with the eyes.

Bats have not lost their sense of smell. By the smell of the female Brazilian folded lip (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis) find their young. Some bats distinguish members of their colony from strangers.

Great night-nights (lat.Myotis myotis) and New Zealand bats (lat.Mystacina tuberculata) smell prey under a foliage layer. Listonosy of the New World (lat. Phyllostomidae) by a smell find fruits of nightshade plants.

Where live?

Bats are widespread throughout the world, with the exception of Antarctica, the Arctic and some oceanic islands. The most numerous and diverse are these animals in the tropics and subtropics.

Bats are nocturnal or twilight animals. In the daytime, they hide in shelters, which can be located in various places underground and above ground.It can be caves, rock crevices, quarries, adits, various buildings built by man.

American suckers (Latin: Thyroptera) settle for a day in young folded banana leaves that unfold after the animals leave the home. Listonosy builders (Latin Uroderma Peters), biting the leaves of palm trees and other plants in certain lines, get from them a semblance of an awning.

Some species of bats prefer to live alone or in small groups, for example, a small horseshoe (Latin Rhinolophus hipposideros), but mostly they are kept in colonies. For example, females of the great nightlight (lat. Myotis myotis) gather in colonies from several tens to several thousand individuals.

Record in terms of the number of members is one of the colonies of Brazilian folded lips (lat. Tadarida brasiliensis), numbering up to 20 million individuals.

Why do bats sleep upside down? Bats stand out among mammals not only in that they know how to fly, but also in how they know how to relax: during daytime rest or winter hibernation, bats hang upside down on their hind legs.

This position allows the animals to immediately fly directly from the starting position, just falling down: less energy is wasted, and time is saved in case of danger.

Hanging upside down, bats clutch their claws on the ledges of the walls, tree branches, etc.

Species such as large night-lights are stacked in tight piles, and small horseshoes always hang on the ceiling or arches of the cave at some distance from each other.

What do they eat?

Most bats are insectivores. Some catch insects on the fly, while others catch bugs sitting on foliage. Among tropical species, there are those that feed exclusively on the fruits, pollen, and nectar of plants. But there are varieties that eat both fruits and insects.

For example, a New Zealand bat (lat.Mystacina tuberculata) feeds on various invertebrates: insects, earthworms, centipedes and spiders, but, at the same time, consumes fruits, nectar and pollen. The feeding of fish-eating bats (lat. Noctilio) consists of fish and other aquatic inhabitants.

The Panama large leaf-bearing plant (lat. Phyllostomus hastatus) eats small birds and mammals. There are also species that feed exclusively on the blood of wild and domestic animals, some birds, and sometimes humans.

These are vampire bats, among which 3 species stand out: borefoot (Latin Diphylla ecaudata), white-winged (Latin Diaemus youngi) and ordinary (Latin Desmodus rotundus) vampires. Other species of vampires live in other places of the globe, but they don’t really drink blood.

How many bats live? The life expectancy of bats in nature, according to various sources, varies from 4 to 20 years. The maximum fixed term is 33 years.

And yet, the main enemy of bats is man and his activities. Populations of different species of bats are significantly reduced due to the use of chemicals in livestock and crop production.

Bat bite. Bats, excluding vampires, are not aggressive animals and will not attack a person and bite. If the animal is picked up, he can only bite from fear, defending himself. In this case, the wound must be treated with an antiseptic and consult a doctor, as with any wild animal bite.

Why are bats dangerous?

People have long had a negative attitude towards bats. In relation to them there are a large number of myths and prejudices. In particular, numerous stories about bats that are tangled in hair are unrealistic, because the perfect animal echolocation system eliminates this.

These are blood-sucking bats that live in South and Central America. It is believed that some species living in Africa also carry viruses and even the deadly Ebola virus. But science has not been proven.

The benefits of bats

Bats are useful animals. They destroy various insects in large quantities - carriers of diseases and agricultural pests:

In addition, bats contribute to pollination of plants. When insects get caught in flowers, animals carry adhering pollen. They also distribute the seeds of many economically important plants and fruit trees.

Bats are of great importance to science. They are the subject of a number of important experimental studies.

How to get rid of batmen?

Sometimes bats settle next to a person: they can be found in the country, under the roof of the house or in the garage. They seemed to have identified themselves as pets.

Bringing undoubted benefits in the fight against insects and protecting crops and plantings from pests, bats can cause some concern to the owners. For example, the noise they make at night can interfere with sleep.

Vapors from their waste may harm human health.

If there is a need to get rid of bats, this must be done carefully so as not to harm unexpected neighbors:

1. You need to find a place where the bats have a rest during the day, and, having waited until they fly out to hunt, close the entrance with mounting foam or boards.
2. You can literally "smoke" them with smoke or pouring water.
3. There are also various sprays or naphthalene that can be used to treat the bat shelter in their absence.
4. Ultrasonic repellers are also an effective tool in the fight against bats.
5. Summer residents can make special buildings for flying animals to relocate them there.
6. Finally, you can turn to the help of special teams who know exactly how to evict unwanted guests.

Interesting Facts