Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control recently sat down with Dr. Paul Faure from McMaster University’s Bat Lab to talk bats. His knowledge of bat behaviour is second to none, so we squeezed him for some interesting facts.
SKEDADDLE WILDLIFE: So, Dr. Paul, tell us something about bats?
DR. PAUL FAURE: Unlike squirrels and raccoons, bats don’t build nests. They more or less just hang there. They hang out!
SKEDADDLE: Weird. Tell me more about bats.
DR. PAUL: Bats nurse off their lactating mothers until they are old enough to fly and catch insects for themselves. There’s a lot to learn as a bat! They need to learn how to fly, echo locate and catch food. A lot of bats don’t do it very well and they end up dying. Further to that, once they get through their first year, bats can live a very long life (as much as 30-40 years).
SKEDADDLE: How can I tell if its an adult bat?
DR. PAUL: A big brown bat (very common) has a nice white colouration on the front, flowing into a creamy colour around to the back which is a deep, dark brown. This is an indication of a mature bat. Another indication of a bats age is the wear on the teeth. Significant tooth wear can occur on bats 30 years old or more and it’s the easiest way to tell how old a bat is.
SKEDADDLE: Are you telling the ‘tooth?’
Dr. PAUL: Yes.
SKEDADDLE: How can you tell a male bat from a female bat?
DR. PAUL: The same way us humans can tell. It’s very obvious.
SKEDADDLE: What do bats eat?
DR. PAUL: Bats love eating mosquitoes, june beetles and meal worms. They definitely help keep the bugs away!
Wow. Bats are awesome.
More information on McMaster University’s Bat Lab
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