Do You Believe In Bat Myths?
And Fear These Flying Mammals?

Banishing Bat Myths And Creepy Tales

By Rick Gregory

Among bat myths of legend, not even Dracula gets much respect. And all the long-toothed stalker wanted was a little love bite.

The curse of the dreaded vampire taints the whole family. In a world suspicious of flying mammals, the besieged bat species is synonymous with dastardly deeds and bad behaviour.

Call it fang and misfortune.

But why do we harbour such ill feelings for these amazing creatures? Could it be because we watch too many late night horror movies? That we encounter them in the eerie darkness? That bat myths are associated with witches and goblins? Or because of that silly urban legend that bats tangle up in your hair causing you to have a bad hair day?

First let’s dismiss a few bat myths before getting on to the fang facts.

• Bats are blood suckers one and all. A total misrepresentation of the family tree. Only three species out of over 1,000 worldwide drink blood. And these three slurp plasma in Central and South America, not anywhere near Asia.


• Bats are blind as bats. A total fallacy. Bats have eyes; they see what’s going on. Fruit bats are larger and use sight for getting around, while insectivorous bats rely on their sonar-like senses.


• Bats are nasty. A dirty reputation maybe, but otherwise these animals are clean. Bats groom all the time and are actually quite furry and fluffy.

Let’s forget about our misconceptions and bat myths for a moment. Remember this new bat mantra: Bats are cool … Bats are cute … Bats are ecologically important and economically vital. Hmmm, maybe it's easier if you just concentrate on those first two.

It’s time everyone got on the bat bandwagon. Bats are simply some of the most complex and fascinating living things on the planet. If you don’t believe me, then check out these basic bat facts and rethink your position.

Eight Enlightened Reasons Not Based On Bat Myths:

1. Bats are mammals like you and me. That’s right. They give birth to a single little live one each year and nurse them on milk. The colony pups cling together in the maternity roost while the adults go forage for food. Within a month, young bats reach 80% of their maturity. The quick transition to adulthood lessens the parental load and keeps the population numbers up.


2. Bats rule. With 1,111 species worldwide, bats are just about everywhere except Antarctica. Malaysia is a special place for these animals because it hosts 118 species - that’s 10% of the world total! And 40% of the country’s mammals are bats, 12 of which are found nowhere else in the world. The flying fox weighs in at 1.5 kilograms and has a wingspan of up to 1.6 metres, while the smallest weigh only a few grams and fit in the palm of your hand.


3. Bats are the only flying mammal. Forget Batman and Superman, true bats are the only mammal that takes flight. A thin membrane stretched between elongated fingers creates the wing. Wing designs are long and narrow for better flying efficiency and short and broad for more manoeuvrability. Different shapes and sizes allow bats to forage in diverse habitats, keeping competition to a minimum.


4. Bats perpetuate the forest. Bats make the forest flourish in two ways – pollination and seed dispersal. By nestling up to flowers to drink nectar, pollen sprinkles attached to facial fur spread to other flowers. Both durian and petai – industries worth over US$ 120 million in Southeast Asia- rely on bats for pollination, as well as nearly thirty other plant species. As fruit eaters, other bats disperse seeds throughout the jungle offering a chance for new trees to grow.


5. Bats roost in forests, not just caves. Most bat species are not cave dwellers. Forests offer refuge for many as leaves act like a protective tent. Houses and temples provide cover in urban areas, while natural rock crevices and hollows do the same. Bats live in huge colonies or are solitary. Over 20 million bats of a single species exit the mammoth caves of Sarawak.


6. Bats provide pest control. The majority of bats in Malaysia eat insects. One bat consumes anywhere from 50% to 100% of his total body weight in bugs each night. That accounts for a lot of mosquitoes and agricultural pests.


7. Bats have microchips for brains. Admittedly a bit over the top, but bat brains are sophisticated instruments. Insectivorous bats constantly analyze the environment through sound. By bouncing echo signals off trees, airborne insects and whatever else crosses their path, they detect the smallest of variations, such as the flutter of insect wings. These techniques also vary between the wide torchlight scans of forest bats to the narrow beam approach of bats in open areas.


8. Bats are at risk. And that's no bat myth. Habitat loss, pesticide use and hunting are key factors in the global decline of bats. Despite Malaysia’s rich bat heritage, there are 34 species threatened with extinction. The flying fox, whose wild trade is banned in Sarawak, is just one example. A survey of historical bat sites showed that only half of them remain intact today.

The bad rap on bats stems not only from Hollywood hype that perpetuates bat myths, but our lack of interaction with these fascinating animals.

We rarely see them. We never get to hold them. We just watch them flitter past conical streams of light, chasing insects, but never chasing away our bad opinions of them.

They are strangers to most of us, ones we don’t trust. It is a shame, really. Because bats are simply amazing once you learn something about them.

Next time switch the channel and give Dracula a break. Watch a nature show, not a horror flick.

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