Bat in a Box
So I get home from work yesterday, walk in the gate to see my wife sweeping up and doing her gardening. My dog comes running to me and makes a hard right and goes off down the sidewalk, which was weird because she usually greets me by jumping on me an licking my face! I glance that way and see something down the walk, but think it is just a leaf or stick. Next as I meet my wife, we hear very strange high pitch sounds coming from the dog's mouth as she runs toward us! We yell and she drops a bat. Yes... a BAT! His leg is obviously injured. We put him in a bucket to keep him away from the dog and release him in the grape tree bushes only to realize he is hurt pretty bad and can not use the leg and can not fly. So, for now he is living in a box in our bath tub! We made some calls, but it was late in the afternoon, so we had to leave messages. Waiting for a response from someone who may help or direct us to someone who can. My wife is a trained Vet. Tech, but has more experience with dogs & cats. We researched what to feed him till he recovers and can be released and found besides the obvious (bugs) we can give him non-fishy dog or cat food. If anyone has any suggestions, please let us know. Ease end, STX.
Contact Fish and Wildlife or National Park Service biologists
Different bats eat different things.
Most bats eat insects and are called insectivores. These bats especially like to eat mosquitoes, beetles, and moths. And they sure do eat a lot of insects. Did you know that one little brown bat can eat 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour? Now that's a lot of insects. With that many bats, you won’t need to use bug spray.
There are some bats that like to eat fruit, seeds, and pollen from flowers. These bats are called frugivores. Their favorite foods are figs, mangoes, dates, and bananas. Some frugivores have been known to drink sugar water from humming bird feeders.
There are bats that eat birds, fish, frogs, lizards, even other bats.
Good luck. Hope the little guy makes it!
Dr. House at Island Animal Clinic also treats injured wildlife from the East End Park. I would call them.
hi Matt
What happened to the poor bat? Can you update us? I hope it is surviving.
What kind of bat was it?? We have several. I've been trying to get a night shot of the big bulldog fishing bats. They are amazing.
Bats seem to be out more lately.
Fraid one will get caught in my hair.
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