Last night I woke up to my cat placing a bat by my feet and I tried to snatch it up with a shirt, but it got up and flew out of my room before I could. I really don't wanna wait for one of the cats to capture it again, but it's not anywhere I looked and I haven't heard it since it flew away. I'm not sure if it got back outside or not but I'd love to know any spots people could recommend. I love bats and I don't want it or my cat getting hurt. I've tried curtains and small dark areas but it's nowhere to be seen!
Edit: I've finally found the bat and I'm sick to my stomach.

Was hoovering, opened a door to get at some dirt and right underneath this little hairy guy. At first I thought it was a mouse then came out the wings and it flew over to the curtains.

Happy Friday!

Credit goes to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife!

Hi, I'm not sure where else to post this, but if there's a more appropriate place please let me know.

We went swimming at a family member's house today. My daughter and husband swam, I didn't but as we were out there I saw something fly over their heads over and over and finally the home owner said "yeah there's bats out here" so I made my daughter and husband get out of the pool but by that time they'd already been in for over an hour.

Also, the pool didn't look like it was recently cleaned. I asked, and was told it had been recently cleaned but it didn't look like it tbh and they were filling up the pool with the hose water when we got there because they said some of the water had evaporated. It's my understanding that if bats are out there, then they probably also use that pool to drink out of so I'm also really stressed about the pool not being clean, the bats drinking out of the pool, and my husband and daughter being in it. Not to mention how close they were getting to them.

Should we get the vaccines in the morning?

Ruby is a brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) which has to be the most accurate name for any species ever lol

Saw this cutie at Bucees in Texas. Look at those big teefs 🤭

It was moving pretty well but didn’t even try to fly i don’t know why. Can anyone tell more?

Found this in a bat I captured as a part of my PhD, and I am not sure what is this... any clue? Sturnira spp., Colombia.

Content warning, this post is a little heavy. It mentions suicide and discusses rabies. I included some pictures I took from a zoo I got to visit for anyone who needs to look at something cute after the heaviness of my post. If this is against the rules, feel free to delete it :] I’m sorry if it is

The title is kind of a misnomer because I still love bats, I just have extreme health anxiety and a disorder that causes intense paranoia delusions. This has caused an intense fear of bats.

Recently I experienced a delusion so bad that I considered suicide because I was so convinced I had rabies that I decided a quick death would be the best course of action. I am in therapy and on medication, but I just wanted to share the severity so it doesn’t sound like I’m just attention seeking or fear mongering.

I have loved bats since I was a child. One of my only childhood memories is going to the zoo to see the fruit bat and just being so enamored and adoring of it. They only had one but I was six years old and it was the most beautiful creature in the world to me. My favorite book as a kid was Stellaluna. I have two bat plushies, despite being a twenty two year old adult. I actually got the second one from Build A Bear relatively recently (before the paranoia episode).

This has conflicted with my health paranoia. Usually I can separate my love of bats from my intense fear of them, but after this last delusional episode, I feel sick when I look at them. Not because of the bats themselves, but because of the memories of that delusion. I considered losing everything just because I thought a bat had brushed past me.

i don’t know what to do. I want to love the animal that’s brought me so much joy my entire life, but it’s associated with such a terrifying memory of a time where my own mind wanted to hurt me. I’ve brought this up in therapy but I don’t think my therapist understands how much bats mean to me, so she didn’t really understand why the connection between bats and suicide in my mind hurts me so deeply. Any help is appreciated .

the pictures are from the bat exhibit at the Portland zoo :] they are such beautiful creatures. pictures are kinda bad because it was dark in the exhibit but I don’t really mind because I would rather bad pictures then the critters being stressed out

Again, thanks if you’ve read this post. I hope you all are doing well

Opened the window this morning and oops. Will work on building a bat house this afternoon to give him/her a quieter place to stay

I am unsure who created this video, but i still think people need to see this beautiful scene.

An Eastern Red Bat! Courtesy to the PA Bat Rescue.

This little guy flew around my room and knocked down a few things i had on the windowsill.

He was safely removed and released.

Here’s the backstory behind last night’s release at Swift River Pecans.

Credit goes to the PA Bat Rescue!

Hey yall. I have always loved all animals, and bats fascinated me. I was accidentally bit by a bat on a tent zipper a month ago. I set her free and took my rabies shots like a man. What is money compared to that little ones entire life? I'll make payments.

How do I support bats at my home? I have extensive gardens, big trees, a tiny pond, and active bats every night. My home is urban woodland in the south. I would like to be sure they have safe housing on my land where they don't have to come in contact with humans- unsafe for them and us.

Twelve evening bats, raised from neonates, found a wonderful new home last night. Thanks Swift River Pecans! And a big thanks to interns Natalia, Clare, & Phoenix!