This is the bat myths article. Vampire films, rabies panic, hair-tangling, blood-drinking, blind as a bat: here is what the evidence actually supports, laid out calmly, without talking bats up or down.
Most bat misinformation comes from a simple gap in observation. Bats work at night while we are asleep, so stories filled in the blanks and stuck around. For general bat facts rather than the myths, see our 9 Bat Facts hub.
Bats play an important part in maintaining our ecosystem, not because they evolved from vampires but because they hold a balance between different food chains. Some species feed on insects, controlling pest populations. Others feed on fruit and nectar, spreading seeds and pollinating as they go.
Make sure you read till the end.
Common Myths about Bats
1. Bats are Blind
They are not. Every bat species can see, and some see very well. Fruit bats and flying foxes have large, forward-facing eyes and find their food by sight and smell. Insect-eating bats have smaller eyes tuned for low light, and they add echolocation on top of vision rather than in place of it.
This one has enough behind it to deserve its own piece: Are Bats Blind? How Bat Vision and Echolocation Work.
2. Bats have Rabies
Another widely believed myth is that almost all bats carry rabies. According to the CDC, only 5-6% of bats captured showed signs of rabies, broadly in line with what you would find in other wild animals.
Other wild animals are in fact more likely to show signs of rabies than bats. That said, the sensible rule applies to any wild animal: keep your distance and never handle a bat with bare hands.
3. Bats Get Tangled in Your Hair
A classic, and it does not survive a moment’s thought. A bat tracks obstacles in complete darkness using echolocation precise enough to pick a moth out of mid-air. Your head is not a difficult target to avoid.
Bats that swoop close to people are almost always chasing the insects gathering around us, not going for us. The same myth appears in other forms around the world. In many South Asian households, bats are said to go for your eyes if you stare at them too long.
Like any animal, a bat will defend itself if it feels cornered. Left alone, it has no interest in you at all.
4. All Bats suck Human Blood
Remember all those classic vampire movies we used to love as children? Guess where the image came from: a flying, blood-sucking bat.
The human blood part is a myth. The blood part is not, for three species. Vampire bats live in South and Central America and feed on animal blood, mostly cattle and birds. They do not suck it either. They make a shallow bite and lap up what flows, usually without the animal noticing. Every other bat species on earth eats insects, fruit, nectar, pollen or fish.
5. Bats are like Flying Mice
Not related, despite the resemblance. The similar pinched noses and small eyes are coincidence. Bats form their own order, Chiroptera, which means hand wing, and they are no more descended from mice than you are.
Once you understand how vital bats are, you’ll want to help them thrive. Learn how in Why You Need a Bat House: Your Go-To Guide.
Now that the myths are out of the way, here are some facts worth knowing.
Here are Top 10 Interesting Facts about Bats!
- Bats can travel up to 60 miles per hour. In a study published by the University of Tennessee, Mexican free-tailed bats reached up to 100mph, making them the fastest flying mammal on earth.
- Bats can live up to 30 years, remarkable for a mammal of that size.
- Vampire bats have anti-clotting properties in their saliva that have been studied for use in clotting drug trials.
- Bats can hunt and find their food in complete darkness.
- Bats can take up to 1200 insects in an hour, natural pest control working your backyard.
- Bats have one baby a year. The pups are called pups.
- Bat droppings are exceptionally nutrient dense and are used as natural fertiliser.
- Pallid bats hunt scorpions and are immune to the sting and venom.
- Bracken Cave in Texas is home to millions of Mexican free-tailed bats.
- Bats can stay in a cave for months through winter.
Curious which bat habitat suits your yard best? See our Big Bat Box Comparison to find the right fit.
Enjoy a bug-free backyard with premium Merlin Tuttle Bat Conservation certified bat habitats by Big Bat Box.
