Hello Everyone. The people at Save Lucy have been busy this week. They got an adorable, but very sick silver hair bat. He was dehydrated and very sad. I’m happy to report that he is feeling much better now. They also got 4 big brown bats that had injuries that looked like they had been attacked by cats. Two of them were too hurt and didn’t make it, but they were able to save the other two. Later in the week, they got a very sick big brown bat. It had been put in a paint can with wet paint. He’s had a rough time. He needed charcoal to get the paint out of his system. Then he needed a flax oil treatment to get the paint off his face and wings. He’s doing much better now and is causing some problems for his rehabilitator. He managed to crawl up into the top of his incubator, which needed to be disassembled to get him out. Since he’s so ambitious, they think he’s going to be ok. Please remember that if you see a bat that looks hurt or sick, don’t try to save it yourself. Please call your local rescue group. They know what they are doing and can help the animals. While you are waiting for the rescue people, please use something like a cardboard box to contain the bat. Wet paint cans can cause more harm than good. And, last but not least, I know it’s hard not to cuddle them yourselves, but believe it or not, bats don’t want to be cuddled. (You can find local bat rescue by clicking this link, which our friends at Bat World Sanctuary maintain.)
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big browns bats that use the outside of her home for a winter roost. Her family has cheerfully hosted this wild colony for years. Hello Everyone, Bats are in the news again this week. Some of it is good news and some of it is bad. The good news is that bat populations are recovering in Europe. The National Geographic is reporting that bat populations in Europe have increased by 43%. You can read the article here . With any luck, we’ll be able to report some good news for North American bats one day. In the meantime, our bad news… White-Nose Syndrome has been found in bats in Marion County in Arkansas. Arkansas is the 23rd state to have bats with WNS. It is being found in their northern long-eared bats. You can read the very sad article here.
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big browns bats that use the outside of her home for a winter roost. Her family has cheerfully hosted this wild colony for years. Hi Everyone, We had a winter storm. It snowed and was really cold. We got to stay home from school almost all week! Sadly, on Friday, we had to go back. We did at least get a 2 hour delay. It was still an awesome week! I wonder how the bats felt. I don’t think they played in it, but it’s fun to pretend… Bats in the Snow
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big browns bats that use the outside of her home for a winter roost. Her family has cheerfully hosted this wild colony for years. This week we feature a new drawing by volunteer illustrator E. Wright Hi everyone! It’s been an interesting week for the bats of the world. It’s still much too hot for them in Australia. The last I heard, more than 100,000 of them had died because of the heat wave. A little closer to home, I think our bats must be confused. One day it’s ridiculously cold and a few days later it’s 50 degrees. If I were a bat, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I read an interesting article on bats. It was called ScienceShot: Bats Tune Into the Emotions of Others. Please go read it here. I think you’ll LOVE the picture. Scientists did an experiment that showed that bats can understand how other bats feel. I liked the article, but I wonder why they had to prove this. I think anyone who has ever really watched bats could probably have already told them that. Bats are a lot smarter than people think.
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big browns bats that use the outside of her home for a winter roost. Her family has cheerfully hosted this wild colony for years. Hi, it is so cold outside today! I am lucky that I can stay inside my home and still be warm. The bats are probably very cold. They have to stay outside all day and all night. I feel sorry for them. I know we’re cold here, but in Australia, it is summer. They are having a horrible heat wave there and the awesome flying foxes are dying. Flying foxes are really cool bats because they are huge. You should look them up. The weather inspired my poetry. By the way, I like naked mole rats. They are cute. J It’s Hard Being A Bat Snug and warm in my home. I look down at the garden gnome. Is that ice I see on his nose? If I look closely, I can see the ground froze. It’s cold and windy now. I’m hungry and should eat. But how? If I go out, I’ll get blown around. I don’t want to fall to the ground. Woe is me! I cannot eat. I’m starving. I wish there was heat. In Australia it is warm. I’ll visit my cousins. Oh, they’re too hot. They’re getting sick by the dozens! Everywhere I go, there is something wrong. I guess us bats will have to be strong. You know, it’s hard being a bat. But at least I’m not a Naked Mole Rat!
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big browns bats that use the outside of her home for a winter roost. Her family has cheerfully hosted this wild colony for years. Hi Everyone! It snowed today! I was so happy to see it, but I’m not sure my bats were. I don’t think they like the cold weather. I think it’s probably hard for them to see through all the snow and wind. I guess they’ll stay in their home tonight. I wonder if they’ll be hungry. I wish I could catch a moth and feed it to them, but they are not that well trained. I hope they are OK. I hope everyone had a Happy New Year and that you were considerate of the bats while you were out celebrating. Please remember that they like peaceful and quiet people. So when you walk by their roosts, don’t be too loud. The little bats will thank you, but it’ll sound like a “squeak.”
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. Hi! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I know my bats did. I could hear them talking to each other this week. We were coming home one night and could hear them squeaking. They were squeaking up a storm. I wonder what they were saying. I think they were talking about how it was supposed to be winter and it was too warm. I wish they hadn’t because then it got cold. It was nice to hear them because I hadn’t heard them for a while and now I know they are ok. I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season. I had an especially good Christmas because I got a bat necklace and my aunt gave me a cute bat stuffed animal.
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. We are grateful for Rachael’s creative lyrics and E’s holiday card! Hello Everyone! It’s almost Christmas, so it’s time to be a little silly. This is a Christmas song sung by a bat. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! The Twelve Bat Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas My little bat sent to me A beetle crawling on a tree On the second day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the third day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Three dragonflies, two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the fourth day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Four stinky stink bugs, three dragonflies, Two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the fifth day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Five tasty moths Four stinky stink bugs, three dragonflies, Two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the sixth day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Six flies a-flying, Five tasty moths, Four stinky stink bugs, three dragonflies, Two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the seventh day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Seven crickets chirping, six flies a-flying, Five tasty moths Four stinky stink bugs, three dragonflies, Two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the eighth day of Christmas My little bat sent to me Eight ants a-crawling, seven crickets chirping, six flies a-flying, Five tasty moths, Four stinky stink bugs, three dragonflies, Two grasshoppers and A beetle crawling on a tree On the ninth day of Christmas My little bat sent […]
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. I would like to dedicate this week’s blog to Mr. Nelson Mandela. He was a great man from South Africa who helped his people. He died last week. I tried to find a South African folktale about bats, but I couldn’t find one. This is an African tale that I found at Pedagogy Ideas. It’s about a little bat who couldn’t make up his mind. Why the Bat Flies at Night So long ago that no one remembers why, the animals and the birds fought a war. The bat could not decide which group to join. As the bat watched, the birds seemed to be winning, so he flew to the side of the birds. “What are you doing here?” demanded the birds. “You are not a bird.” “See my wings?’ asked the bat. The birds accepted him. Unfortunately for the bat, the birds were being tricked by the animals. The animals won the war. The bat flew to where the animals were. “What are you doing here?” demanded the animals. “You are not an animal.” “See my teeth?” asked the bat. He opened his mouth and showed his little fangs. The animals chased him away. Maybe some of them had seen him with the birds. The birds saw him coming back from the animals, and would not have him back. No one accepts the bat now. He still hides from everyone during the day, and only flies about when he can hide in darkness. In Memory of Nelson Mandela 1918 -2013
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a 6th grade student and Save Lucy volunteer. This week, illustrator E. Wright contributed an animated illustration for today’s blog. White Nose Syndrome is a terrible disease that is killing North American bats. It’s really sad. Here is a poem that I wrote about a little bat who is sick. Asleep in my cave all toasty and warm, I plan to stay through the winter storm. Dreaming of bugs flying about, “Squeak, squeak, squeak” all the bats will shout. But wait! What is this itch? It wakes me up and makes my nose twitch. I don’t like this feeling one little bit. How do I stop it? When will it quit? I’m awake now. What do I do? It’s cold outside. Who will help me? Who? This is strange. It isn’t right. I’m awake, so I take flight. It’s too cold for me. Now I feel sick. Someone help me! Save me! Quick! –Rachael