Naturally Florida

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

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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!

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        Naturally FloridaBy Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan
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