Earlier this year, I had what can only be described as a terrifying experience. A bat. In my house. And it wasn’t the first time.
A Little Brown Bat in My House
I had just returned one evening from a long day trip to Montreal. A friend and I had taken the bus early in the morning, spent a glorious day shopping, only to return exhausted. I didn’t reach the house until after midnight, and upon hitting the sheets, fell instantly asleep.
A little white later, I’m not sure how long, I remember hearing something out of place; a strange fluttering noise. That’s when I felt a breeze over the top of me. My eyes popped open.
Things immediately became crystal clear and I was instantly paralyzed by fear. There was a bat in my house. This would be the second bat I’d had, and the first one took me over two hours to get out. Oh, this would be a long night.
Both bats turned out to be little brown bats. Quite common in Upstate New York, and harmless of course, unless you’re a mosquito. It was August and that meant this bat was probably a juvenile that got in and couldn’t figure out how to get back out. Silly teenaged bats.
After a horrifying hour or so, I managed to get the bat to fly out a window and into the night.
The thing was, even days later, I couldn’t get the little bat out of my mind. How did it get it? Could there be more? And why was this all so alarming? Surely the bat was more frightened than I was. I needed answers.
Bat-Sense
Thus began my quest for information on the little brown bat.
I learned that little brown bats might congregate in attics. If you have bats, you can see them leave your house around dusk. I checked my attic. I camped outside. No bats. This was a relief, because according to sources, there’s only a very small window in which you can humanely remove the bats from a home when they’re not nursing their young.
However, my quest for information didn’t stop there. I still needed to know more.
Apparently, little brown bats didn’t want to be near me either. They just want to get back outside and continue eating insects. The echo location they use to find flying food prevents them from smashing into larger objects including myself. Knowing that the bat and I were on the same page brought me some comfort, but why was the whole experience so ghastly?
Because in their desperation they’re fluttering all over the place in an unpredictable manner. That could freak anyone out.
I also learned that if this happens again, my best bet is to put on some gloves, wait for him (or her) to land and gently cover the bat with a clear Tupperware container while sliding a piece of cardboard between the wall and the container. Then I can set the bat free outside from a high place. Right, like I’m going to be able to pull that off! These little guys tend to make some creepy buzzing sounds, too, as if the flapping wasn’t scary enough.
Microbats and Flying Foxes
During my bat research, I stumbled across the wonderful world of flying foxes. Flying foxes are, of course, some of the largest bats in the world. Unlike the little brown bat in my house, they don’t use echolocation, but can see perfectly fine with their own eyes.
I started watching videos on YouTube about the efforts in Australia to rescue and release flying foxes back into the wild. A big shout-out to these people doing this work. They put in many hours going out into the field to rescue, rehabilitate and release these animals (including orphaned baby bats) back into the wild. It’s nothing short of amazing. They also rescue microbats, similar to the one taking a tour of my home.
In the months since my bat visitor, my knowledge has increased tenfold.
What began as a fear has now become an admiration for these fascinating creatures.
Of course, my thoughts turned to Costa Rica. We spend so much time concentrating on adorable sloths, monkeys, jaguars, snakes and frogs, that we haven’t taken any time to think about bats.
So, what’s the bat situation in Costa Rica?
Bats in Costa Rica
Turns out, Costa Rica has a very large bat population. About 110 species, in fact.
Since Costa Rica is so small, this quantity of bats means that Costa Rica once again wins when it comes to biodiversity.
And yes, that includes the vampire bat.
Vampire bats will feed on livestock. The disturbing thing about vampire bats is that they’re the only type of bat that can walk (or hop, as they do). Most of the bats in Costa Rica eat fruit or insects, but there are bats large enough to eat birds, and some can scoop fish out of the water.
Other bats living in Costa Rica include the Honduran White Bat, the Ghost Bat, and the adorable (yes, I said adorable) Bulldog Fishing Bats.
If you’re interested in the bat population of Costa Rica, you can see them for yourself. Check out the Bat Jungle in Monteverde. Here you can get a close look at bats doing all their batty things like flying, eating and socializing with others. The Bat Jungle is operated by Dr. Richard Laval who is a renowned bat expert. I’m looking forward to paying these bats a visit sometime in the future where I can safely observe them.
What About Rabies?
If you are coming to Costa Rica, you are not required to get a rabies vaccination. However–and that’s a big however—if you’re planning on being in a spot where there is heavy bat activity or you plan to spend a lot of time in caves, you might want to rethink getting the vaccine. Although rabies is rare, people have gotten bitten in Costa Rica and some have contracted rabies. If you are bitten, it’s absolutely imperative to seek medical help immediately. Of course, if you are planning on working with bats, you’ll need to be vaccinated.