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!
Do not handle it with bare hands! Bats can carry rabies.
Here's a map of worldwide rescues and temporary care instructions.
Bats should never be kept as pets: Here's why.
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.
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In case anyone else had this question, bat calls can range from 9 kHz to to 200 kHz (source: Maryland DNR, https://dnr.maryland.gov/Wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/bats/batelocu.aspx), while ultrasound frequencies range from 2 Mhz to 15 Mhz (source: https://radiopaedia.org/articles/ultrasound-frequencies).
Ah, so they don't intersect and thus the bat would be unbothered. Thank you!
That makes me wonder. What is it like for a bat with such sensitive hearing to undergo an ultrasound?
Is it distressing and feel like their ears are being bombarded? Or do they have to adjust the frequency of sound or have specialized equipment to do them?
That’s a great question, I’ll see if I can ask some bat specialists and get back to you.
if this is truthful then I have massive resprect for you having such casual access to bat specialists.
if not however... then you are just okay
You're cracking me up! The bat specialists in question are the Bat World Sanctuary on twitter and Dr. Alyson Brokaw on instagram ("Bat Biologist currently cosplaying as a Neuroscientist"). I don't personally know either, but they are passionate about bats, so there is a chance we'll get an answer. The worldwide bat community is very welcoming overall!
That would be great. Cursory googling didn’t hit on anything except that an ultrasound and bat hearing range do overlap.
Comment for update notice
Have not heard back from Bat World or Dr. Brokaw, but this comment seems to settle this for us. The ultrasound frequency seems to be quite higher than the bat's hearing range, so they are probably fine without any accommodations. I will still update if I hear back with more detail!
Thx
Update from Bat World:
When the baby ultrasounds you back
Aww that's cute, I didn't even think of that.
Reminds me of some girl in biology class who was 110% sure that bats lay eggs.
Bats aren't bugs?
Guess she's gonna have to take a sabbatical 🫠
The real question is whether or not Mickey is going to step up and be a father
I can't believe I'm seeing something on Lemmy from Featherdale... Doonie represent
We know it isn't a robin.