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Bats A bat is a mammal in the order Chiroptera. The word Chiroptera is from the Greek words
for "hand wing." They are the only flying mammal in the world. There are about 1,100 species of bats.
About 70 percent of bats are insectivores. of the remainder, most feed on fruits. Only three species sustain
themselves with blood. Bats are natural reservoirs or vectors for a large number of diseases, including
rabies, severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS, Henipavirus (ie. Nipah virus and Hendra virus) and
possibly ebola virus. Their high mobility, broad distribution, social behavior and close evolutionary
relationship to humans make bats favourable carriers and disseminators of disease. Only 0.5% of
bats carry rabies. However, of the very few cases of rabies reported in the United States every year,
most are caused by bat bites. Although most bats do not have rabies, those that do may be
clumsy, disoriented, and unable to fly, which makes it more likely that they will come into
contact with humans. Unfortunately, people houses can also make great homes for bats.
They can enter through openings as small as a quarter inch by a half inch. Like any wild
animal, avoid contact with bats. Call Wilderness Animal Control instead.
Wiki: Bats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bats CDC Bats & Rabies http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Bats_&_Rabies/bats&.htm
The Better Side of Bats http://www.batcon.org/home/default.asp

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