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The INDEPENDENT, January 6, 2011
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife debunks bat myths
In an effort to debunk myths
about bats and teach Oregoni-
ans about the state’s bat
species, Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife staff have pro-
duced a new fact sheet. De-
signed for kids, it provides a de-
scription and photograph of
each of Oregon’s 15 bat
species and some ideas of how
kids can help. The flyer, Batty
for Bats, is available on
ODFW’s website at http://
www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/liv
ing_with/bats.asp
“There are a number of
things that people can do to
help bats – from building bat
houses to leaving snags or
dead trees on their property to
serve as roosts,” said Andrea
Hanson,
ODFW
Strategy
Species Coordinator. “One of
the most important things that
kids can do is to learn about
bats so they understand their
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importance.”
Fun Facts about Oregon’s
Bats:
• Oregon’s bats eat only in-
sects. An adult bat eats about
1,000 insects every hour!
• Bats hang upside down be-
cause it gives them an ideal po-
sition for take-off.
• Bats can fly 20 to 30 miles
an hour and travel more than
100 miles a night.
• A baby bat is called a pup.
Young bats begin to fly be-
tween two and five weeks of
age.
• Bats are the only flying
mammal.
Eight of Oregon’s 15 bats
are identified in the Oregon
Conservation Strategy as
species in need of help. To find
more information about distri-
bution, habitat and conserva-
tion actions that will help bats,
see the Summaries of Strategy
Species section of the Oregon
Conservation Strategy on
ODFW’s website, http://www.
dfw.state.or.us/conservation
strategy/read_the_strategy.asp
Additional information about
“Living with Bats” is also avail-
able on the ODFW website,
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wild
life/living_with/bats.asp .
The Townsend’s big-eared
bat. Photo by Don Albright.
Martin
Luther
King Jr.
Day is
Monday,
January
17.