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| Courtesy: Pixabay |
Bat Alert...
Have you been seeing any bats flying around in your area? They are incredibly quick and you may have only the feeling of seeing something in the air. Bats have started migrating to their summer roots in northern Colorado making sightings more common.
Colorado has 18 different bat species and they can be found in every habitat across the state – from the eastern plains, and high mountain forests to civilized areas. Some live here year around while others are only passing through.
Bats are important in our ecosystems by helping control insect populations – almost all in the United States thrive on an insect diet. A single bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquito-sized insects every hour, and each bat usually eats 6,000 to 8,000 insects each night.
Bats are, also, important pollinators in tropical and desert climates and provide critical pollination for a variety of plants like peaches, cloves, bananas and agaves.
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| Courtesy OutThere News |
Bats are the only flying mammals that are active mostly at night and occur on all continents except Antarctica (flying squirrels are only able to glide.)
"Bats can carry rabies and should only be handled by a trained professional. If you find a dead bat or see multiple bats in one area, please report it to Colorado Parks and Wildlife at 303-291-7771.
The public is also asked not to disturb hibernating bats and to respect cave closures.
Migratory bats are protected by federal law. It is illegal to kill them.” – OutThere News, June 8, 2021
Sources used: OutThere Colorado, June 8, 2021, Mother Earth News, USGS – Fort Collins Science Center, Colorado Parks and Wildlife