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September 28, 1989 - They're Our Friends., Believe It or NotB14 The Suffolk Times • September 28, 1989 They're Our Friends., Believe It or Not By Paul Stoutenburah The other evening I walked to the edge of the pasture to get a breath of fresh air, as I often do when things slow down. The wind was out of the west which put the edge of the pasture in a calm and peaceful zone. The katydids and cicadas were singing in the treetops and the hedgerow buzzed with singing insects of all sorts. I stood there breath- Focus on Nature ing it all in. It was a wonder world all my own. Slowly, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized something was darting and diving in erratic flight in front of me. Its fast and rapid flight told me it could only be a bat, probably New York's most common, the little brown bat. Now I'd see it, then it would swoop into the darkness and was lost as it pa- trolled the quiet air along the edge of the woods. Bats have not fared well in the fabled tales handed down to us. Because of their nocturnal habits few bats are ever seen, accounting for the mystery that usually surrounds them. Probably if they came to our bird feeders we'd soon change our old ideas of their being evil, dark and unclean. On the contrary, there is nothing evil about them, and as for being clean, they wash themselves much like our pet cats, preening them- selves each morning and after every meal. All the bats we have in New York State are insectivorous, meaning they flourish only on insects. Further to the south and into South America we have pollen and fruit eaters and even the notorious vampire bats that, by the way, only rarely feed on humans as they sleep. Their favorite target is domestic animals and poultry and even here the little blood that is lapped up from a small incision in the skin does little harm to the host. Our insect- eating bats do a great ser- vice in keeping down the insect popula- tion. Back in 1950 a study on the little brown bats came up with some startling figures. It was estimated that in one hour one bat could consume over 500 mosquitoes, or about one every seven seconds. What a friend my little brown bat was that performed in front of me that Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh LITTLE BROWN BAT —One of the most common of our New York State bats, the small, insect - eating brown bat. evening. Each time I'd see its erratic somersault flight I knew insects of one sort or another were being scooped up in the membrane of the tail and then transferred by a bending -down motion to its mouth. All in the wink of an eye. Different Kinds of Bats Some of the bats we have in New York State hibernate in caves, old mine shafts or any other place where the tem- perature stays above freezing. Some, like the silver - haired bat, the hoary bat and the red bat, migrate like birds, seek- ing warmer areas where insects can be had all winter long. During the summer many bats hide in old buildings, chim- neys, hollow trees, any place that is dark. Probably this retiring to dark areas like church steeples was responsible for the old saying, "Bats in your belfry." It can generally be said about animals that the smaller the creature, the shorter its life span. Mice, for example, have but a few months to a year or so to live while dogs are old at 12 and horses at 17. Bats, on the other hand, live up to 20 years or more. They're unique little creatures, but then I shouldn't say little for in some parts of the world they grow huge. The fruit - eating bat of the tropics, called the flying fox, reaches a ME1 LIN THE BEST CHINESE FOOD ON THE NORTH FORK Seafood Delight Jumbo shrimps, scallops, and sliced chicken sauteed with baby com, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, snow peas and Chinese vegetables. Luncheon Specials Daily $393 and up Dinner Specials Daily $730 and up Includes soup, rice, noodles and tea Entire menu available for take -out Main Road, Southold • 763 -3333 wingspan of over four feet. On the opposite end of the scale one of the smallest bats weighs less than a penny. Our technical world has come up with some exciting and remarkable devices. Take for instance the high -tech radar and sonar our Armed Forces work with. Yet nothing man has made has come up with a radar or sonar that can match the bat. Someplace I read that scientists be- lieve a bat's sonar is ounce for ounce, watt for watt, one billion times more sensitive and effective than that of the very best being used today by our Armed Forces. Kids vs. Bats It's remarkable to think that a bat can locate its prey, change direction and scoop it up amongst all the various wires, tree limbs, other insects and noises of today's world. Somehow the bat emits an ultrasonic sound that bounces off the insect, giving its exact location so the bat can hone in on it. As kids we would throw stones up where bats were flying and immediately the bat would veer off its flickering course, check it for a moment and leave, knowing it was not for him. My dad told us we could catch one by throwing our hat in the air but, I'm afraid, like the old fables it proved false. We tried and tried to no avail. A bat is a mammal bearing its young live and then suckling it. Usually only one is born. They are not birds nor are they mice but rather they belong to their own order, Chiropera (which means hand wing), and are actually closer related to man than our family dog. Occasionally I'm called to see a bat someone has found. Usually it has been 765 -5247 found at a roosting place for the day. Sometimes it is under a bush or in a tree or perhaps in a dark section behind a shutter. Once one was found in the open on the ground. That was unusual. I put it in a box where within a few hours it died. That sick bat could have ingested in- sects that had been sprayed. The other possibility, although rare, is that the bat could have had rabies. Like all mammals bats can carry rabies. Most sensible people do not handle any animal that is sickly. No matter if it is a rabbit, raccoon or bat; if it's sick, there's always that slim possibility it might be dying of rabies. In today's world where man has put up so many obstacles for wildlife, here on Long Island rabies is usually not the culprit but something the animal had ingested from one of man's many mod- em hazards. Bats, though not cute and cuddly, are useful creatures and ones we should be glad are still around. Look for them in open spaces along the edge of the woods or in your own backyard towards evening. They are harmless and most beneficial. Slowly, people are feeling more comfortable with these outsiders. Like snakes, once understood, they are appreciated and accepted. Actually you can buy or build bat boxes that encour- age these insect- eating creatures to take up residence in your neighborhood. Re- member one little brown bat eats 500 mosquitoes in one hour. Read all about it The Suffolk Times NORA FORT( WATERFRONT CONTRACTORS., INC Lic. #16 -978H1 We handle all your waterfront needs – commercial and residential