this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2023
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Bats

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Bats are cool

Bats are the only true flying mammals. There are over 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found on nearly every part of the planet. Not only are they cute, they are also important...

Studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Without bats’ pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control we wouldn’t have bananas, avocados, mangoes, agave, or cacao… that’s right, bats bring us tequila and chocolate!

Found a bat in need of help?

Celebrate bats with us!

Our community's mascot is Baxter. Baxter is an Egyptian fruit bat that was cruelly kept alone and confined to a small cage for 12 years before being rescued by a bat sanctuary. You can read the full story by clicking on his name.

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Everyone should feel welcome here. Hateful or bigoted language will not be tolerated.

Don’t post anything a fruit bat would not approve of.

Please don't hate on bats in this community (this includes all of your edgy covid humor).

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Try to imagine what this feels like… someone takes you captive, you don’t know why. You don’t speak their language and you are powerless to escape. You have no idea what they want of you, and you are terrified.

Your captor locks you in a bathroom. This bathroom has a window covered with shade, but you are not allowed to open it to get fresh air or even look outside. There is a sink, but only your captor knows how to turn the water on. There is a toilet that you can eliminate, but only your captor decides when it should be flushed.

You get the same thing to eat day after day after day after day. When you don’t feel good no one knows how to help, so you suffer in pain. There are no pictures on the walls, no TV, no computer, no phones, and no friends. You have absolutely nothing whatsoever to help you pass the endless days and nights. If you are lucky you might have a companion, but otherwise, you are completely alone, and this is where you will spend every single day for the rest of your natural life.

This is what a bat feels when we take it into captivity.

I know we joke about bats being sky puppies in this community, but they are wild animals and they belong in the wild (or in specially designed sanctuaries if they are too injured to survive on their own).

If you ever see someone keep a bat as a pet, please try your best to educate them and let them know that Bat World will take their pet in to rehabilitate, no questions asked.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago (3 children)

This is why I took in my local goth as a pet. They keep the same hours and have the same dance moves, but it's much less cruel to lock a goth in a dark room for hours with snacks.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Only if we go pillaging together!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

They might even thank you

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's why I care for black cats because they're batty as hell.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Imogen is gorgeous! Baxter, our new community mascot, wants to say hi! He spent 12 years all by himself in poor conditions, but now he is happily flying around at a bat sanctuary.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

look at those little chin hairs!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

On the other hand bat houses and hummingbird feeders full of water are a great way to keep wild bats hanging around eating bugs.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Believe it or not, they do. It's a cool-looking animal, and may seem low-maintenance to the untrained eye ("they just hang there").

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

they mentioned a study in the article. which study was that?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

The quoted text seems like it could apply to any animal. I think a more effective argument is "You will likely get rabies and die."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's why I keep mine in caves on my farm and a few bat boxes...in the pastures right at dusk, hundreds of them flying around. It's awesome.