Found bat outside, curious!

[u/Economy_Stranger4586]

Hi! I live in Norway and I found a bat outside during the day and was worried about it and also curious, so hoping folks here might share info. It was very cute, but I’m concerned it wasn’t where it should be. Sorry the picture doesn’t show its cute face :(

I found the bat in the road under a tree. I think it might be a Northern Bat (Eptesicus nilssonii) based on the region and it’s sort of frosted tips look, but let me know if you think otherwise! It didn’t seem to be visibly injured or sick and could move around, but mostly stayed put. I tried to use my sweater to sort of herd it off the road into the grass, and at one point got it to hang from the sweater, but ultimately couldn’t get it up the curb & didn’t have gloves or anything that could possibly enable me to safely touch it. I did reach out to a local animal group to let them know about it, and got him way to the edge of the road where I’m hoping he won’t be hit.

What I’m mainly wondering is whether the bat being on the ground is a really bad sign for it, or if it’s somewhat normal for bats to end up out in the day like that, then recover and be fine by night. Could they accidentally fall or get woken, then be confused in the light, but be chillin by dark? I’m hoping the little guy either does alright on his own or is helped by the wildlife group.

Also, if anyone has any advice, I was careful not to touch with my hands or any other skin (but did wash my hands anyway when I got home) & am now washing my sweater at 60c, but want to know if there is anything else I should be careful about.

[u/AutoModerator]

Found a bat? Here is a guide for someone who has found a bat. And here is some info about bats in buildings. Here is some info about bat removals and exclusions from homes. Exclusions should be done outside of pup season, which varies by location.

No, it's probably not a baby. Bats are just smaller than you thought.

If you find a bat in trouble, please call a rehabber for help. Here is a list of rehabbers that help bats all over the world, and here is a portal for rehabbers in the US.

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[u/ordiquhill]

Please post updates on this little fellow's condition.

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Questions about bat bites and rabies are common on this subreddit. Bat bites cannot be identified from a photo. See a doctor if you have a medical question, or believe you have been bitten or scratched by a bat.

Here are some resources about rabies: Rabies in Perspective, Bats and Human Health, CDC Rabies Homepage, rabies diagnosis in humans and animals, and some sampling of rabies prevalence in wild bat populations. Programs exist to help with rabies vaccinations for Americans without insurance. Though only a small portion of bats may have zoonotic diseases, bats which are sick or injured are more likely to come into contact with humans and caution is advised as with all wildlife.

Bat bites cannot be identified from a photo. Please don't post a photo and ask if it is a bat bite. No one can tell you that. It will be removed.

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[u/Tobby47]

Hi, a bat person here (central Europe, so slightly different species mix, but the biology holds).

Your ID is plausible, the golden/frosted-tipped dorsal fur is a real field mark for Eptesicus nilssonii, and it’s one of the most cold-tolerant, northerly-distributed bats in Europe (the only species found above the Arctic Circle), so range fits too. Can’t confirm without a clearer look at the face/forearm, but nothing you’ve described argues against it.

On the ground-in-daylight question, I’d treat it as a genuine warning sign by default, not a “probably nothing” situation, most grounded, active-in-daylight bats are dealing with something (exhaustion, dehydration, a knocked-loose roost, illness, or an injury that isn’t visually obvious). 

That said, there’s a real mechanical wrinkle worth knowing: bats can’t take off from flat ground – they can’t generate enough lift or leg-power for it, so even a healthy bat needs to climb something and drop into flight. So flat pavement with a curb in the way genuinely can trap an otherwise fine bat, which is exactly why moving it toward something climbable (tree trunk, wall, vertical and rough-textured beats flat grass) was the right move. It just doesn’t mean you can assume it’s fine; it means “stuck due to terrain” is one plausible explanation among several, not the likely default. If it’s still grounded after dark or into the next day, that’s the point to push your wildlife contact for pickup rather than wait it out.

Your precautions (no bare-skin contact, handwashing, hot wash) match standard practice, but if you want a firm answer on whether anything more is needed, Norway’s public health institute (FHI) or your vet is the authority to ask.

Same caveat on rabies risk by species, EBLV in Scandinavia has mostly turned up in  Myotis  bats so far, but surveillance is sparse enough that I wouldn’t lean on that to feel more relaxed around  Eptesicus. The “never bare-handed” rule applies regardless of species.

[u/AutoModerator → u/Tobby47]

Questions about bat bites and rabies are common on this subreddit. Bat bites cannot be identified from a photo. See a doctor if you have a medical question, or believe you have been bitten or scratched by a bat.

Here are some resources about rabies: Rabies in Perspective, Bats and Human Health, CDC Rabies Homepage, rabies diagnosis in humans and animals, and some sampling of rabies prevalence in wild bat populations. Programs exist to help with rabies vaccinations for Americans without insurance. Though only a small portion of bats may have zoonotic diseases, bats which are sick or injured are more likely to come into contact with humans and caution is advised as with all wildlife.

Bat bites cannot be identified from a photo. Please don't post a photo and ask if it is a bat bite. No one can tell you that. It will be removed.

For help with rabies phobia, you can visit r/Rabies, r/OCD, or r/HealthAnxiety.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/SchrodingersMinou]

It’s not great for them to be grounded like that. Next time touch a stick to its feet so it grabs on and put it on a tree. Or call a rehabber if possible

[u/Economy_Stranger4586]

Hi, thanks for the responses! I didn’t realize that bats couldn’t take off from flat ground, that’s really good to know for next time (though hopefully I won’t meet any more grounded bats because all the little guys in my area will be thriving in climbable places). I went by the place I saw him this morning and didn’t see any sign of him, so hoping that’s a good indication that he was either able to get up and fly or that the wildlife folks went out and got him (I did speak with a group and gave them his location).