October is not only spooky month, it's bat appreciation month as well! Bats, despite usually being out of our sight, are all around us! They're present in every country on Earth! Which means no matter where you live, you almost certainly have multiple species of bats living around you! They're the only flying mammals on earth, which is pretty cool! And both frugivore (fruit eating) and insectivore (insect eating) bats are absolutely vital parts of the ecosystems they live in. Batcon.org is a good resource for learning more about bats in general. I think it's also a good idea to look up the bats that live in your area of the world so you can learn more specific information about them. You can also look up local wildlife sanctuaries that are near you as well, they often have good information on local wildlife on their websites.

I also recommend calling your local wildlife sanctuary if you ever find an injured bat or a bat that's out during the day. You should do your best to avoid handling bats if you're not trained and vaccinated. As you could unintentionally injury them further, and they can scratch humans when picked up. As with any wildlife that bites or scratches humans that would mean the bat would have to euthanized to ensure they don't have rabies. If you do have to pick up a bat, for example to move it from a dangerous place such as a road where it might get hit, it's best to do so with thick gloves on while picking up the bat with a towel.

Thank you for reading this short post, and happy bat appreciation month!