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July
Misconceptions about bats abound. Bats are not “flying rats.” They are not even rodents. But like rodents, they are warm-blooded mammals who nurse their young. Wisconsin bats do not feed on blood. They eat flying insects, including those bloodsucking mosquitoes that haunt our otherwise perfect summer nights.
Five species of bats are commonly found in Wisconsin. Some Wisconsin bats live and hibernate in caves, but others roost in forested areas and migrate south for the winter. Either way, bats will do everything they can to avoid human contact. Unless you pose a danger to them, Wisconsin bats will not fly at you, much less get tangled in your hair. A very special fact about bats: they are the only mammals that can fly.
Putting up a bat house such as the one shown here can not only help bats but could attract a family of fine neighbors. Those precious summer nights in the yard could hold more time relaxing and less time swatting. Nothing scary about that.
Like most native mammals, populations of Wisconsin bats are diminished by loss of habitat and disease.
About the Author
Elizabeth G Fagan is a writer and artist who resides on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in southeastern Wisconsin—a place she calls Lake Michigan’s Left Coast. She has been a professional writer for more than 35 years.
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Contact Elizabeth G Fagan
Fagan attended The Hammonasset School, a private arts high school in Connecticut, where she began writing and taking photographs. She earned a BA in English at Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa) and the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC). She has an MA in Linguistics with a specialization in teaching English as a second language (ESL) from UIC. Fagan later gained an associate degree in Web Development from DePaul University in Chicago.
- “Art from Lake Michigan’s Left Coast,” Grinnell College Alumni Association
- Cedarburg Artists Guild
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