Mysterious, good, bad? Bats unveiled

There are few things as delicate as a bats ear. Thin, dark brown skin is stretched over fragile cartilage. In certain light, they are nearly translucent. The inside ridges look like a washboard for a dolls house.

I know this because I nursed an injured baby bat back to health. I got a close look at the dainty, cavernous ears, miniature teeth and fuzzy body of our local long-eared myotis bat.

It had been a week of nocturnal activity. Two bats had perished in our overhead fan above the bed. Ill spare you the details on that. The next night, I was startled by a fluffy ball careening across my bathroom floor. The bats movements were jerky; he pivoted on clawed feet, spreading his wings wide across the tiles.

I wrapped him in a towel and put him outside, hoping hed fly off into the night. But the next morning, he was still there, nestled between the deck and the house siding.

After consulting the internet, Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Islands Sounder resident wildlife expert Cali Bagby, I filled a dropper with water and tried to rehydrate him. He eagerly opened his tiny mouth, gulping down drop after drop. The rows of tiny teeth and his miniscule pink tongue were incredible.

After transporting him to the branches of a nearby tree, at the recommendation of Wolf Hollow, we hoped for the best. Incredibly, he was gone the next day. I like to think he is patrolling the night sky near our house.

The experience brought up a lot of questions and concerns. Facebook comments ranged from Install a bat house to Does a vampire live with you? to Contact the health department immediately; rabies are a concern.

After talking with the county health department, it turns out I probably shouldnt have been handling the bat, but the risk of rabies is low.

If you find a bat that is not doing well and is around people, it could have rabies, said County Environmental Health Specialist Gary Covington. In the summer, we get maybe an average of one possible victim per month. It is generally from presumed exposure after finding a bat in sleeping quarters. But weve never had any people in San Juan County turn up with a positive rabies infection.

Low risk of rabies

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Mysterious, good, bad? Bats unveiled