Superstitions cause many people to fear bats.
It is generally accepted that their bite is dangerous. And all because, having watched enough horrors about Dracula and knowing little about the life of these nocturnal animals, people prefer to fantasize, giving these creatures an aura of mystery and danger.
Bat hanging on a branch
Are these creatures actually harmful? Is it possible not to feel a bat bite, and what to do if the creature does attack you?
Types of winged animals
Some species of nocturnal mammals carry diseases that pose a danger to humans. One of the most common diseases that can be contracted through contact with an animal is rabies. The risk of human infection from a bat is lower than from contact with wild animals of other species. For example, foxes or wolves.
In the Russian climate, three types of bats are dangerous:
- pond bat;
- water bat;
- late leather
Read more about bat species in this article.
Moths choose caves, crevices in rocky areas and underground mines as shelter. Late Kozhan can live in houses or apartments. Of the entire colony of animals, only some individuals pose a danger. Infected cells are found in the animal's brain and salivary glands. The virus also accumulates on the skin in the neck area.
This is interesting! Nocturnal animals infected with rabies die quickly. The disease affects their nervous system.
A little history
During the period of Ancient Rome and in the Middle Ages, healers used mice and rats for medicinal potions, while in Asia they are still specially bred for such purposes. With the development of veterinary medicine and experimental medicine, mice and rats began to be used for various studies as laboratory animals.
It is believed that decorative and laboratory mice originate from white, spotted and black fighting mice, described in a book published in 1787. It talks about the animals that were used for fighting at that time. English merchants brought them from Japan. Subsequently, the mice formed a special line of house mice, and decorative breeds began to be bred as pets.
Today, in various countries of Western Europe and America, there are Clubs for mouse lovers, the main goal of which is to breed new varieties of these animals. Most often, individuals of different colors are obtained: gray, white, red, brown, lilac or pinkish, with spots. Special exhibitions with expert assessments are held there.
But in our country, decorative mice are less known than in America and Europe, but among animal fans they are becoming more and more popular every year. In clubs for lovers of various rodents, special sections of ornamental mice have been created, nurseries have been opened that engage in selection and breeding work, and exhibitions are also held where house ornamental mice are exhibited along with other small animals.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the beneficial properties of boiled beets for the human body.
What diseases do bats carry?
The main disease that the nocturnal animal spreads is rabies. But a mammal can infect humans with other types of viruses. Individuals carry deadly diseases:
- Ebola fever;
- SARS virus (SARS coronavirus);
- Marburg virus;
- Hendra fever;
- hemorrhagic fever.
Diseases cannot be transmitted from an animal through the air, so it is not dangerous to be near an animal. But you should avoid contact with the saliva of a mammal. The risk of contracting the virus occurs when a bat bites a person. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable not to touch a wild animal. In cases where you need to remove an animal from your yard, you need to use thick rubber gloves.
Where can you find a bat?
Nocturnal animals that live in mid-latitudes love to settle near gardens and vegetable gardens. This is due to the fact that they destroy many insect pests. Individuals often choose to live in places near bodies of water where there are many mosquitoes.
Individuals rarely live alone. They form colonies of several dozen nocturnal mammals.
In winter, animals fall into a long sleep - suspended animation. Winged animals choose caves, crevices in rocks, and tree hollows as a shelter.
In residential areas they are located in underground mines and deep wells. Bats also choose residential buildings for sleeping. They live in basements, balconies, and attics of houses. The air temperature in the shelter of nocturnal animals should be no lower than 0°C.
10 Best Ways to Get Bats Out of Your Roof
Conservation status
European bat species are protected by several international conventions, such as the Berne and Bonn conventions. In addition, they are listed in the IUCN International Red Book.
Russia has also concluded all international agreements on the protection of these animals. All bat species living on Russian territory are protected by domestic legislation. Some species are listed in the Red Book. It is legally stipulated that not only the animals themselves, but also their habitats are also protected by law. According to this, sanitary or veterinary authorities cannot take any measures against bat refuges discovered in the city. Man also, in accordance with the law, does not have the right to exterminate bats and destroy the habitats of mouse settlements.
Why is a bat bite dangerous?
Small winged animals can cause serious injury. These are not aggressive animals, but when frightened, bats can attack a person in defense. It's not just sharp teeth that pose a threat. Infected individuals can transmit the deadly virus to humans.
Advice! If the bat cannot fly and appears lethargic and inactive, do not touch it without thick rubber gloves. There is a high chance that she is infected.
If a colony of nocturnal mammals has settled near your house, do not worry too much. The rabies virus is not transmitted from one animal to another, so the accumulation of nocturnal animals in a residential area does not pose a danger to people. On the contrary, in large colonies bats develop immunity to the disease. The risk of infection is low. But still he is there.
After a bat bite, it is recommended to immediately go to a medical center.
Consultation with a doctor is required if one of the following symptoms is present:
- redness and itching at the wound site;
- insomnia;
- prolonged increase in temperature;
- severe headaches;
- excessive irritability;
- fast fatiguability;
- nausea;
- lack of swallowing reflex;
- painful reaction to light;
- hallucinations.
All these signs may indicate rabies infection. You can cope with the disease only with the help of medications.
The first symptoms may appear 10 days after the bite. In some cases, signs of rabies appear 2 months after contact with infected individuals.
Winged mammals that feed on blood are not found in Russia. Bats bite if they sense danger.
Who are they, creatures of evil or faithful helpers?
Bats (lat. Microchiroptera) belong to the order Chiroptera of the cohort of placental mammals. These are the only animals in the world capable of prolonged flight.
This is a very extensive order in terms of species, and the sizes of its representatives range from 3 to 50 cm in length, and from 5 to 80 cm in wingspan. But we will consider as a sample not large tropical specimens, but small species inhabiting our European regions, the dimensions of which usually do not exceed the size of a sparrow or tit.
These flyers can live 5-10 years and even longer. Zoologists claim that some bats under scientific supervision lived up to 20-25 years, and this is by no means fiction.
The thin limbs of bats resemble a bone frame on which a leather membrane is stretched, forming wings. These creatures have very thick fluffy fur on the body, usually lighter in the front.
The head and muzzle have a truly bizarre structure, with which, in addition to the wings, all the fables about the otherworldly nature of these creatures in the old days were usually associated. And in some ways we can understand both our ancestors and modern, more mannered representatives of the fair sex, who are frightened by just the sight of these funny creatures on TV screens.
The muzzle resembles a pig's snout with large ears, like that devil from the well-known Soviet film adaptation of “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” performed by G. Millyar. And two fangs protruding from the upper jaw can cause even greater fear and mistrust.
It must be said that, despite very poor eyesight, these creatures are quite nimble and perfectly oriented in space during flight. In this they are helped by echolocation, that is, the ability to catch the reflection of ultrasonic pulses from surrounding objects.
These animals feed mainly on insects, which they catch in flight with extraordinary dexterity. Tropical bats also eat fruit, and among them are vampire bloodsuckers. However, let's return to our insectivorous night flyers.
The same species that live in our latitudes perform an important function in the fight against many insect pests and parasites among them. These night hunters are a real scourge for mosquitoes, flies, moths and other not very useful insects, sometimes poisoning the summer season for both the average city dweller and the ordinary villager.
The benefits of bats are especially appreciated in rural areas, where overnight a flock of these creatures can greatly help a farmer who is always suffering from harmful insects.
Also, these creepy-faced flyers serve as plant pollinators, carrying plant pollen on themselves and distributing it over a wide area.
