In a social media landscape dotted with false information and AI-generated images, a bat bum aimed at 乌鸦传媒榖rightening the feed乌鸦传媒� might seem unreal.
They do exist, just not as we see them, explained Julianna Laposa-Wilde, Southern Vancouver Island Bat Program coordinator with Habitat Aquisition Trust.
乌鸦传媒淭hey don乌鸦传媒檛 have bum cheeks but they do have glute muscles,乌鸦传媒� Laposa-Wilde explained.
While a fun little fact, and they look similar in some situations, the bat bottoms are not comparable to the gluteus in humans.
乌鸦传媒淗umans' are developed for walking or running, which obviously bats don乌鸦传媒檛 do. Their bodies are built for flight,乌鸦传媒� she said.
The light-boned bats are chiroptera, which translates to 乌鸦传媒渉and wing乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� describing their essentially elongated fingers covered by a thin layer of skin to form wings. It allows for super agility and acrobatics in flight.
乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e the only mammals that are capable of true flight,乌鸦传媒� Laposa-Wilde said.
Another image that routinely appears on social media feeds suggests the exhaustion a bat might feel hanging upside down for ages upon end. A human would need to contract muscles and quickly tire, but the bat's anatomy creates hooks, and the critters don乌鸦传媒檛 need to even think about the act.
乌鸦传媒淲hen they乌鸦传媒檙e hibernating or sleeping, they have tendons in their feet that allow them to hang,乌鸦传媒� Laposa-Wilde explained. 乌鸦传媒淭he weight of their body pulls on that tendon and that乌鸦传媒檚 how they can hang there."
Anatomy is just one intriguing aspect of the critters currently slipping out of hibernation in Greater Victoria and across B.C.
In other parts of the world, Laposa-Wilde explained, they pollinate plants 乌鸦传媒� drinking nectar and moving from plant to plant, such as banana, mango and agave.
乌鸦传媒淵ou can thank bats for tequila,乌鸦传媒� she said.
Locally, bats are insectivores 乌鸦传媒� dinner includes the universally despised mosquito 乌鸦传媒� devouring more than 1,000 a night. Plus the nitrogen-rich guano makes a great fertilizer.
With more than 1,400 species across the globe, B.C. boasts a diverse species count with 15 of Canada乌鸦传媒檚 18 species 乌鸦传媒� nine of those are on Vancouver Island. Right now, they乌鸦传媒檙e emerging from hibernation in caves, trees and other crevices, with reports rolling in to Habitat Acquisition Trust of the creatures hanging about in some unusual places.
乌鸦传媒淲e tell people it乌鸦传媒檚 common right now, they乌鸦传媒檙e leaving hibernation and making their way to summer roost sites,乌鸦传媒� Laposa-Wilde said. That said, the agency is taking reports of sick or dead bats now through May 31 as it monitors for white nose syndrome. The fungus, devastating bat populations across North America, affects bats during hibernation. The white powder on their face and bodies causes them to wake during hibernation, using up valuable energy stores.
While white nose doesn乌鸦传媒檛 affect humans, it乌鸦传媒檚 still important not to come into contact with bats for a variety of reasons 乌鸦传媒� with rabies likely top-of-mind.
Again, it's a case of context when finding information online; the deadly virus that does impact humans is present in less than one per cent of bats. Many online statistics, however, will show 13 to 15 per cent 乌鸦传媒� based on testing of only dead bats.
乌鸦传媒淏ats can have rabies, which is lower than one per cent, but because rabies is so serious, it乌鸦传媒檚 important to treat every bat like they could have it,乌鸦传媒� Laposa-Wilde said. 乌鸦传媒淚f you come into contact with a bat, or suspect you乌鸦传媒檝e come in with contact with a bat, it乌鸦传媒檚 important to get help 乌鸦传媒� that being said, bats don乌鸦传媒檛 want to mess with people so they will avoid you at all costs.乌鸦传媒�
Find a link for reporting sick or dead bats, or more information at .
