Bat Appreciation Day

Liana Gardner — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 21:01:08 +0000

Happy Bat Appreciation Day!!!

Until today, I didn't even know bat appreciation day was a thing. Who knew??? I gained a better knowledge and appreciation of bats when working on 7th Grade Revolution … after all there had to be bats in the tunnel.

Bats over the years have gained an undeserved unsavory reputation. The first thing most people think of are blood-sucking vampire bats, but there are over 1,400 species of bats and only 3 of those are vampire bats—who tend to bother livestock more than people. What else are people afraid of with bats?

All bats have rabies and if they bite you, you'll get rabies, too. WRONG
Approximately 5-6% of the bats captured for testing have rabies, so while possible, a far cry from ALL.
Bats are bad luck. WRONG
Bats actually do several things that are helpful. Such as eating disease-spreading insect like mosquitoes, roaches, etc. Forget the citronella candles … put a bat on the patio and it can consume up to one thousand mosquitoes an hour. Plus they do such amazing work like spreading seeds for future bananas, avocados, and about 300 other plants.
Bats will try to nest in your hair. WRONG
Though as a child I thought this might be a possibility, and it has happened to some people, it is more a matter of accident than design. Bats don't nest. They roost upside down because they have difficulty in taking off from the ground. But by hanging upside down, the can drop and use the momentum from the fall to start their flight. It might give the appearance they are swooping toward you, but the reality is they are simply taking flight.

I have another reason for celebrating Bat Appreciation Day. Meet Melvin.

Isn't he adorable??? When I shared that it was Bat Appreciation Day with a friend who loves bats, the name Melvin hit me, so I created an image of an albino bat named Melvin. He will be in the Homeless Myths series, my current work in progress, and I already know where he lives, how he's going to interact with the kids, and he's just too cute not to share. I'm certain Melvin is going to have mega personality to match his endearing appearance, so keep your eyes peeled for more about Melvin as the series continues.

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7th Grade Revolution: Bats

Liana Gardner — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 13:00:43 +0000

Bats usually get a bad rap. They are linked to vampire lore and are accused of sucking blood. Even vampire bats don’t suck the blood … they lick it. While licking blood is still creepy, it lacks the horror of sucking. They tend to go after cows rather than humans anyway. And contrary to popular belief, they don’t want to nest in your hair … because bats don’t nest. One of the best things I learned about bats is they can eat up to 1,200 mosquito-size insects an hour … sounds like a great guest for the next barbeque.

Mexican free-tailed bat in flight; photo by Ron Groves / EOL Learning and Education Group on Flickr (public domain image).

In Bracken Cave, located in Texas, it is estimated that the Mexican free-tailed bats (Texas State Flying Mammal) living there eat approximately 200 tons of insects and crop pests each night. The farmers thank them (and so do I). Would anyone brave the caves without a flame-thrower if they didn’t? They also summer in Austin under the Congress Avenue Bridge, just 10 blocks south of the Texas State Capitol. It’s the largest urban colony in North America, extending to some 1,500,000 bats all doing their bit to keep the Capitol insect-free.

I know … I know, you’re not quite ready to invite bats to live in the local belfry because bats can be rabid. However, there have only been 10 cases of rabies contracted from bats within the last 50 years in North America. Maybe in part due to the bats motivation to avoid human beings as much as possible.

Another thing I found fascinating is that the spines on their wings are actually their fingers. And finally, a really cool fact — the saliva in vampire bats contains an anticoagulant which is being studied because it works the same way in humans and scientists are hopeful that by copying the enzymes in the saliva, they may be able to treat heart conditions and stop strokes.

What part do bats play in 7th Grade Revolution? When the kids are on the hunt for the “treasure” the FBI believes is somewhere in the school, the kids uncover the secret tunnel which leads to an otherwise unknown cavern. The perfect bat hangout.

     In the darkness ahead, strange noises, squeaks like fingers sliding on a steel guitar—times a thousand—cut through a fluttery sound. Beating wings.
Crud. Rhonda threw her arms over her head and ducked. “Bats!”
     Selena screamed.
     The shrillness ricocheted off the walls and assaulted Rhonda’s ears. “Get down.”

Knowing the only place the tunnel led was back to the school, the kids began to wonder whether they’d be trapped all day, huddled in the dark, with a bat colony flying overhead. And then Rhonda learned a bat attack wasn’t the only thing to get her heart pumping …

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Bat Appreciation Day

7th Grade Revolution: Bats