Naturally Florida

It's Spooky Season, Let's Chat About Bats

Listen Later

Mummies, Ghosts, and Goblins – oh my! This spooky season, we're chatting about Florida’s bats! 

Thirteen species of bats call Florida home, yearround, and several more migrate in from the north or south at certain times of year. These amazing flying mammals, the only mammal with true flight, provide highly valuable pest management services for Floridians.  

So, while you may see some spooky vampire bats this month on TV or in the movies, remember - Florida bats eat insects … they don’t suck blood! 

Learn more: 

  • (Webinar) Bats of Florida - https://youtu.be/gYhTjbBDqS8 (Taught by Shannon!) 
  • Read about high-quality bat houses in Florida - https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/UW/UW29000.pdf 
  • Connect with the Florida Bat Conservancy to learn more: https://www.floridabats.org/backyard-bat-houses.html Living with Bats (FWC) - https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/bats/ 
    • How You Can Help: 
    • Share what you learned with a friend! Bats are friends, not foe in Florida. Without them, we’d be dealing with so many more nighttime flying pest species. 
    • Consider leaving natural habitat for bats, like Spanish moss, dead palm fronds and their "boots" and, where possible, snags with cavities.  Installing a bat house! 
    • Learn more about them, here: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/UW/UW29000.pdf and https://www.floridabats.org/backyard-bat-houses.html 

      • Sources for this Episode: 

      • https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW433 
      • https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/UW/UW28900.pdf 
      • https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/bats/health/histoplasmosis/ 
      • https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/static-page/where-is-wns-now 
      • https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/white-nose-syndrome

        • If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here!

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store
        Naturally FloridaBy Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan
        • 5
        • 5
        • 5
        • 5
        • 5

        5

        68 ratings

        More shows like Naturally Florida

        View all
        Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

        Science Friday

        6,057 Listeners

        Radiolab by WNYC Studios

        Radiolab

        43,944 Listeners

        This American Life by This American Life

        This American Life

        90,431 Listeners

        The People's Pharmacy by Joe and Terry Graedon

        The People's Pharmacy

        986 Listeners

        To The Best Of Our Knowledge by Wisconsin Public Radio

        To The Best Of Our Knowledge

        904 Listeners

        Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

        Hidden Brain

        43,406 Listeners

        The American Birding Podcast by American Birding Association

        The American Birding Podcast

        636 Listeners

        The Daily by The New York Times

        The Daily

        112,814 Listeners

        Up First from NPR by NPR

        Up First from NPR

        56,200 Listeners

        The Wild with Chris Morgan by KUOW News and Information

        The Wild with Chris Morgan

        3,274 Listeners

        Short Wave by NPR

        Short Wave

        6,218 Listeners

        Consider This from NPR by NPR

        Consider This from NPR

        5,989 Listeners

        Florida Spectacular by Cathy Salustri & Rick Kilby

        Florida Spectacular

        13 Listeners

        Unexplainable by Vox

        Unexplainable

        2,112 Listeners

        The Florida Madcaps by Sunshine State Seekers and the Florida Excursionist

        The Florida Madcaps

        30 Listeners