Most people don’t like bats. That includes me. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is trying to change that.

In the organization’s “Wildlife Diversity News” sent to me on Oct. 24, they noted that, “in popular culture, bats are creatures to be feared, especially this time of year with their association with Halloween and all things spooky. It’s perhaps not surprising that they have this reputation. Bats are only active at night and usually appear as indistinct shapes fluttering in the moonlight. Or they are huddling together in dark, dank places like caves and abandoned buildings. Or, perhaps, they’ve taken up residence in your attic!”

Or they bite you and suck out all your blood or turn you into a vampire. Or something like that.

The DNR says, in reality, bats are “not something to be afraid of or grossed out by.” The release stated that a bat enthusiast they know calls them “sky puppies” because they are “pretty darn cute.”

Huh?

All of this bat stuff is because last week was officially Bat Week, and it had nothing to do with Adam West or Michael Keaton or Christian Bale. It does have to do with educating people about Iowa bats. Did you know, according to the DNR, there are nine species of bat that call Iowa home? Five of these species live in Iowa year-round, and four head for warmer climates as soon as it starts getting too cold for insects to be active.

In Iowa, bats are typically hibernating or on their way south by Oct. 31, so you are not likely to see many on Halloween unless they are made of plastic. And only a small percentage of bats carry rabies, so the risk of contracting rabies from a bat is small.

Bats live, on average, 15-30 years depending on the species. In addition, bat moms only raise one to four young per year. Meanwhile, one colony of big brown bats can reduce the corn rootworm population in an area by 33 million.

Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind but echolocation gives them a boost. And the highest diversity and abundance of bats in Iowa occurs in eastern Iowa, where there is more forested land and most of Iowa’s caves can be found.

And, finally, bats cannot turn into vampires. Or so they say.

Happy Halloween, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman 

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

View Shane Goodman's archived columns from past issues here.

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