I used to fear these creatures of the night, for no other reason than their connection to the darkness. All my life I’ve been afraid of the dark, unable to shake the sensation of danger or something wholly other lurking unseen.
While I might never overcome this irrational fear, bats have grown quite dear to me. It’s their Draculean pose I love most—tightly wrapped in their webbed arms, peculiarly inverted as they dream little bat dreams.
Now that Halloween season has arrived, what better time for a heart-to-heart on the perils faced by the simultaneously spooky and adorable winged animals?
First, an introduction to the mysterious and misunderstood: Bats 101
The question burning in my mind: Why do bats hang upside down?
The answer is somewhat anticlimactic: According to Bat Conservation International, bats chill and sleep with their feet to the sky because it’s convenient. For escaping predators, for going from stationary to airborne in no time flat, and because it’s easier on their light leg bones if they reduce compression, i.e., avoid standing upright. I suppose I was expecting some sort of supernatural response, but this distinctive trait of theirs is remarkable nonetheless.
Mind-blowing fact #2: Bats are the only mammals who can truly fly.
Mind-blowing fact #3: There are more than 1,400 species of bats, making them the second largest order of mammals.
Mind-blowing fact #4: OMG, are you ready?! This is a BIG one. Again, courtesy of Bat Conservation International, “Tequila is produced from agave plants that in the wild rely on bats as their primary pollinators.” So the next time you order a margarita, raise your glass to the pollinating bats who helped make it possible.
Bats support the ecological balance of our environment
It’s simple, really. Because nature is designed to be self-regulating.
In addition to their pollinating prowess, bats keep insect populations in check. So let’s ditch the artificial pesticides and ensure that bats thrive for natural crop protection.
Mind-blowing fact #5: “Every year, bats contribute $3.7 billion in pest control services to agriculture in North America.”
Bats are in danger
Worldwide, bat populations are in decline. While slow gestation periods—most species only give birth to one pup per year—and disease endanger their survival, human activity poses a major threat, in the form of:
- ongoing destruction of their natural habitats;
- hunting and exploitation for sport and meat;
- increased use of wind turbine energy;
- and the spread of harmful myths.
How can we help the tiny dark knights?
Our food choices have far-reaching impacts, well beyond the animals farmed for human consumption. Eating plants, not animals, is one of the greatest (if not the biggest) individual contributions you can make to help the planet and all life that depends on its health and longevity—including bats.
Put simply, a vegan diet results in significantly less harm to biodiversity than diets centered around animal proteins.