Feeding Orphaned Red Bat Babies
2,965 views · Published 4 July 2018 · 2:04 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Bat World Sanctuary · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism
Here are a few of the red bat babies we've rescued this summer. By the end of baby season we will have rescued between 50 and 100 orphans. Red bats roost in trees and are solitary except when rearing young. Their coloring helps them to stay camouflaged because they usually hang from one leg and resemble a dried leaf. Red bat moms are among the few species of bats that have more than one baby a year. They typically have 4 to 5 pups every summer, but sadly many are picked off by blue jays. When red bat moms are attached by birds they gather their babies up and try to fly away, but the weight of often to great and they end up on the ground, where mom will stay and sacrifice her life to protect her babies. We end up with orphans when a baby falls off mom while in flight, or mom is injured. These bats are commonly found in yards and in parks. If you find a bat please remember to use gloves or a towel when rescuing him/her as the bat will be frightened and may bite in self-defense. (We are trained and vaccinated to handle bats so we sometimes use bare hands as it allows better tactile sensitivity and control.) Please see this link for more info, and please share so more lives can be saved: https://batworld.org/what-to-do-if-you-found_a_bat/ These little youngsters will grow up to help humans by eating moths, beetles, plant-hoppers, ants, flies, and other pesky bugs. They will be full grown and flying in about 8 weeks. When ready, they will receive a week to 10 days of flight exercise (to ensure they can forage and avoid predators on their own) and then they will be released back to the wild. Donations help us rescue and provide the critical care needed for little beings like these. https://batworld.z2systems.com/np/clients/batworld/donation.jsp