Note to self: about the bats...

[dianeduane]

On summer evenings, when the little ultrasonic things that keep bugs and mice out of the house are turned on, if the windows are going to be open, turn the ultrasonics off.  Otherwise the local pipistrelle bats come in the windows and start hunting through the house for the strange mutant bat-thing that's suddenly appeared on their territory and is making these weird noises.

The cats then go completely spare as they start trying to catch the flying mice. Then Peter has to go through all kinds of amusing gymnastics to (a) keep the cats from eating the bats, because they're a protected species, and (b) to get the bats to fly out again. And sometimes they're sufficiently annoyed when he catches them that they try to bite him (funny but harmless, as pipistrelles' teeth are designed for bugs and can't even scratch human skin). 

(sigh)

Now playing: Tina Turner & Elton John - The Bitch is Back

Comments

[autopope.livejournal.com]

I'd be a bit more woried about those bats. You know that they discovered last year (fatally, at that) that rabies is endemic among bats on the British mainland? And you know how wide the Irish sea isn't (as the bat flies). Obviously there's virtually no risk of a human being bitten by a pipistelle, but if a cat catches one, well ...

[madfilkentist]

Bats are particularly a concern (in the US as well) because they can carry rabies for a long time without getting sick. I'd be very careful with them.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I've never had anything against bats, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time one has made me go 'OMG SQUEE CUTE!'

[clanwilliam.livejournal.com]

Rabies fears aside (do you remember the cheery ads they used to run on Irish TV?), I want to see footage of Peter running around trying to catch a bat. I bet you could get money for that.

[readinggeek451]

Or better still, the cats trying to catch them.

[brightling.livejournal.com]

Or up it one more to Peter trying to catch the cats attempting to catch the bats?

[crissachappell.livejournal.com]

That thing is adorable!

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

You realise you've just accidently discovered a bat attractor... which would of considerable use to field biologists...and endless delight to goths!

Oh yeah, and seconded on the request for videos please... apart from anything else, You've Been Framed would pay a pretty penny for that.

[sesquipedeviant.livejournal.com]

A bat attractor! What a brilliant notion!

We in Australia have few of those weeny wonders, the microbats. (I've met one, once, in a shopping centre. Brought in as an exhibit wildlife publicist type, it was shivering with fear because of the reflected, magnified noises in the place. I was allowed to stroke it in a quiet attempt to comfort it -- though i doubt such monkey madness made any sense to the poor thing.)
Over here, instead, we have fruit-bats a-plenty, huge things about the length of a ruler, also known as flying foxes (http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/batatlas/at_foxes.html). They silently whoomp-whoomp-whoomp their wings above us from tree to tree after dusk. Well, sometimes silently. Sometimes, as they squabble over OUR FRUIT (the monkey in me resents this!), they go SQUARK SQUARK SQUAAARK SQUUARK, as playable on the page linked.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... that's a decididly unlovely sound... I think I may reconsider the idea of having one of those as a pet. [not that I'm a goth, I just like bats.]

Having worked on the capture, tagging and release of the local microbats, the shivering might not have been fear but the usual behaviour when they're resting. Their body is geared towards a high temprature because of the all the heat generated by the effort of flying. When they are resting, they have to shiver to remain warm, particually in cool air conditioned malls!
[it's also why they huddle together.]

Of course, being mammals, they do also shiver in fear as well, but if the one you saw was part of an exhibit, it was probably fairly endured to it all, I doubt the organisers would have used one that would get stressed. Quite apart from anything else, the animal protection services would have had their asses if it was suffering.

Oh, and rest assured, they enjoying faux social grooming too. [ie stroking]. Their little heartbeats slow down and they tend to get visibly less agitated. I've had one fall asleep in my hands even, I guess he was pretty darn relaxed. [which considering the vet had just got done splinting a broken wing bone, that was fairly amazing!]

thanks for telling me more about the microbats!

[sesquipedeviant.livejournal.com]

I've always liked our fruitbats -- but that's a support-the-underdog thing, as the farmers etc hate them. Yes, they SQUARK, but that .au file gave you the noise of a mob fighting - probably over the best nip of mango :>

So all mammals shiver in fear? Is that part of the fight/flight preparedness? And the bats enjoy the faux social grooming? Neat! I'm so pleased about that. I had felt a little guilty for adding to the little beastie's stress.

Re: thanks for telling me more about the microbats!

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, virtually all vertibrates, not just mammals, shiver in fear... I guess it's a reflex to warm up the muscles or some sort of displacement activity.

I can see why fruit farmers don't like them, it'd be a bit like haveing locusts descend on your crops. Still, I can see why people like them, they are cute looking things. [is it just me, or do they seem to be grinning a lot of the time?]

As for social grooming, if you get the oppertunity, watch a colony of bats, they are almost always grooming each other unless they're asleep. Bats have a real problem reaching all their 'bits' and social grooming helps keep exoparasites down, as well as serving as a way of group bonding, conflict resolution and establishing social order.

As far as I know, there isn't a single species that doesn't enjoy it, since they are all social animals. Some more so than others, I looked after a common bat [which ironically, is quite rare] and that little girl loved being skritched behind the ears... she'd squeak if I stopped and butt her head against my finger. Kinda cat-like in a way.

[a-muse-d.livejournal.com]

aww, cute. did it tickle when it nibbled on him?

[saffronrose.livejournal.com]

Yes, do tell--inquiring minds want to know!

PS DD, I friended you because I found you on firedrake_mor's reply list to a post of his, but also because I've been reading your work since the first printing/first edition of Door into Fire. We've met occasionally over the years, books singings, cons, what not, but I am not memorable in spite of that.

[zillah975]

Omg cutest thing ever!! Is that a picture of one of the actual bats, or a general picture of a pipistrelle bat? I've never even heard of pipistrelle bats! I must learn about them immediately.