Episode 695: Bats: Gotham Beware!

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about bats. Yes, they get a bad rap since a few species are vampires and drink the blood of horses and cattle. But they are an amazing creature, as helpful to human society as bees are, and aren’t really a threat. In fact, they weren’t considered evil or a menace until Bram Stoker used them in Dracula, where they were permanently married to Halloween and all things dark. These crazy critters use sonar to hunt, live in sophisticated colonies, pollinate, regulate pests, and silently help human society in many ways. They are a tourist attraction in Austin, and their poop is worth its weight in gold!

Visit Our Sources:

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/bats/batfacts

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/bats

https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat

https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/arizona/stories-in-arizona/top-10-bat-facts/

https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/cover/build-a-bat-house

https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2019/12/13/for-what-it-is-guano-is-far-more-valuable-than-you-would-think/

https://www.austincityguide.com/listings/congress-bridge-bats