It’s National Bat Day! Batty Info and Memes!

Dunna dunna dunna dunna NATIONAL BAT APPRECIATION DAYYYY! That is right. BATS have an appreciation day. Which got me wondering, why? How do these random appreciation days get made? And what other animals have appreciation days? I mean, bats can be quite cute and one of the most popular superheroes represents the bat. But why should they get their own day? So let’s find out some batty facts and since this is supposed to be a comic related post, let’s check out some of my favorite bat related memes.

When I think of bats, I think about a lot of iconic figures such as Dracula, Rouge from Sonic, Bartok from Anastasia, Batty Koda from FernGully, Foxglove from Rescue Rangers, Count Chocula, and of course Batman. There are also a lot of negative association with bats in certain cultures. Such as bats associated with malevolence, witchcraft, darkness, and death. But besides the fact that they are a natural reservoir for many pathogens such as rabies, they are actually quite a few positive benefits in the human society. Their guano (poop) is a very good fertilizer, they consume insects reducing the need for pesticides, and are used as food across Asia and the Pacific Rim. They are also important in their ecosystems for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds which many tropical plants depend entirely on.

Bats are the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. Additionally they are more maneuverable than birds. Being the second largest order of mammals, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with over 1,200 species. So they were broken down into two suborders: mega bats which are largely fruit eating, and echolocating microbats. Many bats are insectivores and most are frutivores. With only a few species that feed on animals besides insects, such as the vampire bat.

As cute and interesting as they can be, and as social as they are, they should not be kept as a pet. Mostly due to the possibility of zoonotic disease and while they are living in a home, they can’t be enjoying their best lives which can last as long as 30 years.

Here are a few fun facts about bats in general:

  • Pteropus bats (also known as flying foxes or fruit bats) in the South Pacific are the largest in the world with a wingspan of up to 6 feet.
  • The world’s smallest bat is the bumble bee bat of Thailand, which is smaller than a thumbnail and weighs less than a penny.
  • Bats are the only mammals able to fly.
  • A single brown bat can catch around 1,200 mosquito-size insects in one hour.
  • Bats have only one pup a year.
  • Bat mothers can find their babies among thousands or millions of other bats by their unique voices and scents.
  • Bats can fly at speeds of up to 60 mph.
  • More than half of the bat species in the United States are in severe decline or listed as endangered.

Now that we know a bit more about bats, here are some bat related memes.

Hopefully this gives us better insight to why there is a national bat day. Personally, I still am not sure why they need a day, but thanks to this day I am a bit saddened and glad to know about the severe decline of half of the bat species. If you would like to help these bats in any way, check out BAT WORLD SANCTUARY. As we know, they do help our ecosystem, and I have a feeling Batman would be proud. So what do you think about bats? Who’s your favorite bat related character? What are some of your favorite animals that you would like to see have a national day? Let us know in the comments!

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