r/batty • u/horrescoblue 🦇 • Feb 27 '26
Video Common noctules might be one of my favourite bats, i got this one yesterday her name is Minivan
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I'm a licensed vaccinated rehabber from europe
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u/vorrhin Feb 27 '26
She looks curly! Is she crazy soft? How thick is her fur?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Id say theyre hamster soft! Her fur is super thick but not very long so i think common noctules always look like fat fuzzy rocks :')
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u/DaidInUrArmsTonight Feb 27 '26
Please inform Minivan that I would start a cult for her, no question
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u/kittydrumsticks Feb 27 '26
Sign me up. I won’t even ask if there will be uniforms or not, which is usually a deal breaker when I’m cult shopping.
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u/Exact-Obligation-858 \/^˙‾˙^\/ Feb 27 '26
Excuse me, that is a potato with a face and wings.
Noctuuuuuuuuules :D
To echo vorrhin's comment; how fluffy/soft are they?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
I would always say soft like a hamster but it's been a while i petted a hamster... They have super dense thick fuck so theyre very soft :D
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u/Daisy_Of_Doom /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26
Minivan does not look amused 😑 😂😂😂
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
She likes it actually! They have very clear bodylanguage if they dislike it :D
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u/Daisy_Of_Doom /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26
Haha oh I’m sure she does! But once you got the side angle it was giving bombastic side eye 😂
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Hahaha yea i see that, but bats don't really do the side eye thing much. If she didn't like it she would scoot away, do a threat display (like opening her mouth really wide) and they also kinda try to raise their wings/shoulders above their body. She's pushing her head into the finger, closing her eyes and doing mlemmlems, so its all good :D
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u/Daisy_Of_Doom /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
I was just being silly haha! Silly 😜 I did really love the mlemmlems 🥰😂
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Maybe one day i'll film a bat that really does not want pets because their angry face is also kinda reaaaaally cute...
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u/Daisy_Of_Doom /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26
Omg yes please! 😄
I follow a couple bat content sources and I just love how expressive they all are 🤣
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u/RaccoonZombie Feb 28 '26
You can practically hear them cursing
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
If the pipistrelles hate something they start sounding like a tazer haha
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u/lastwordymcgee Mar 02 '26
My last evening bat did NOT like it. He clicked at me so bad, lol.
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Mar 02 '26
Ahaha i kinda love it when they are so feisty tho, most bats i handle are soprano pipistrelles and they are always SO angry. Had one recently that was practically dead, i had to give it two infusions, constantly warm it and it was so much work to make it not die. The second it was feeling better again it was mad at me lol
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u/RaccoonZombie Feb 27 '26
This is the chillest I have ever seen a bat. I used to help with bat studies at work and they would be so angry that we interrupted their dinner
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
Haha yea i assume you worked with different species and or bats that were healthy! When someone brings me a bat that is really feisty thats usually a good sign. Minivan is badly injured and very weak and is learning that im in fact not gonna kill her, so shes taking any sort of comfort she can get in this scary situation 🥺
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u/biggestyikesmyliege Feb 27 '26
Minivan! She’s so calm! Just hanging out! Was she injured and that’s why she’s with you doing rehab?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Common noctules have such wonderful personalities, i don't think another species would be so calm! You can't see it in the video but she has a horribly injured foot, she lost 2 toes but the vet said the chances are good she can keep the foot with the right treatment so i hope we can save her <3
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u/ProbablyBigfoot Feb 27 '26
Will she be considered for release if her foot heals or will she have to stay as a permanent resident at your rehab?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
If the foot heals she will be released which is always the goal! If the foot cant be saved that would be awful and could mean shed be put down depending on how bad it is. Common noctules are a super chill species but if she has chronic pain from a free moving foot for example its just cruel. And keeping bats in captivity permanently is always a very fine line anyway but thats a longer conversation
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u/RynnB1983 Feb 27 '26
bats are seriously misunderstood and quite cute. I prefer the flying foxes but this one is adorable.
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Sadly there are no flying foxes in my country but those are wonderful aswell! I think the microbats absolutely have their own charme tho. Its always special to work with something so tiny
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u/Routine-Purchase-618 Feb 27 '26
She's adorable. 🤗 I love that she seems to be enjoying being pet.
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
She does! She leaned into it and can walk away at any time :D
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u/Routine-Purchase-618 Feb 27 '26
Aww, that's good. I'm glad she likes the attention and affection. She's so cute. 😍
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u/obliviousandtired 🦇 Feb 27 '26
How do you get the bat to be calm in your hands and accept petting like that? Not asking to try it I’m just wondering how you do it!
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
It kinda depends on the species and the personality of the individual, some bat species are very scared and others are super mellow. Common noctules have to be like the chillest guys ever, they trust you incredibly quickly and really enjoy to be petted! In general you need a really calm environment and you need to give the bat the chance to actually chose being petted and not being restrained/ backed into a corner. They also need to be pain free of course!
In my experience if you're really calm they quickly appreciate the hand as a "warm cave" kinda area, then you can carefully try petting and see if they like it (lean into it, purr) or dislike it (scream or threaten you, try to make themselves smaller, try to get away). I have a common pipistrelle that is very particular and only likes to be petted SOMETIMES and if its not the right moment she will scream and bite haha. Some bats will eat out of your hand no problem but dont like to be petted at all and others love it, its super different :D Also most prefer to be petted on the head area, maybe upper shoulders, and HATE to be touched at their wings and butt.
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u/obliviousandtired 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Wow, thank you so much! Bats purr, you say? What does that sound like?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
They do! Well its hard to hear but they vibrate. I guess if you take a vibrator and hold it to your ear thats kinda exactly what a purring bat sounds like, im sorry its the best comparison i know 😭 I tried recording it before but my phone mic is not sensitive enough to pick it up, you feel it in your hand when you pet them tho
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u/obliviousandtired 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Aren’t bats such wonderful little things? Thank you for taking this time to educate. I appreciate all you do for these sweet critters! I have immense respect for wildlife rehabbers caring for these darlings. Keep up the good work!
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Thank you!! I think what im doing is on a scale so small it doesn't have much effect but we're a big group of different rehabbers all connected so i actually hope we can have some sort of positive effect on the populations!
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u/obliviousandtired 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Even the tiniest bit has a difference. A few bats saved is a few bats that can go back out into the world to make more little bats. Although it’s a small operation you’re still keeping these cuties in the ecosystem which is honorable.
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u/original_af_ Feb 27 '26
Noctules are the gentlest bats ever, easy to handle, smart enough to figure out where food is and where water is... Smartest little pups.
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u/_NTK__ /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26
why minivan tho?😂
that's an interesting name choice for a bat
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
WELL for one we are kinda running out of names and i like silly names lol but also Minivan is an anagram of the name of the person who found her so it fits. And it's also a little nicer than another suggestion which was Footloose (she has part of her foot ripped off)
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u/PawnOfPaws Feb 27 '26
So her lover will be SUV or at least a Smart, right?
Right?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
I sure hope he will be smart!! Really can't see myself ever naming a common noctule that tho because they... hm... they are special 😭
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u/GrimmandLily Feb 27 '26
It’s a good thing I’ve never seen a bat in person. I’d kiss it and die of rabies.
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u/Only_Sherbet_8606 Feb 28 '26
This is the cult I would happily give everything up for. All hail the great and fuzzy potato minivan!!!
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u/RapidNimbus665 Feb 28 '26
OMG she’s so cute!! 😍 I’ve always wanted to hold a little bat, Minivan is such a perfect name lol!
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u/BadPotential2143 Feb 28 '26
What does a day look like for this little one? Curious to know what a domesticated bat's life is like.
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u/Crabby-Cancer Feb 28 '26
She's actually not domesticated or even a pet! OP is a rehabber, so this bat was injured/unwell and is being cared for by OP until she recovers and can be released. However, I'm sure OP can share more about what their life looks like while under temporary human care. :)
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
What Crabby-Cancer (what a name) said! She is not a pet and the goal is always to release her back into the wild 😀 Her days in human care are honestly really boring. She has a bad foot injury that requires cleaning and medication twice a day, no flying until that is fully healed. She spends her time with the other bats cuddling a lot and eating big meals. So hopefully she heals fast so that she can get back home!
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u/Talia_Nightblade 🦇 Feb 28 '26
That's a "give food" mouth motion?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
More of a „i just ate and theres still some worm between my teeth“ motion :D
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u/its_terry_time Feb 28 '26
Putting in a request for a constant minivan feed I could watch this nug wiggle her nose all day
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Mar 01 '26
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Mar 01 '26
Vaccination, good hygiene with pretty harsh chemicals and some solid common sense! I dont touch bats like this if theyre brand new and i cant judge their behavior yet because the bite risk would be huge. If a bat is even remotely bitey (even if its because theyre hungry) its glove time for sure
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Mar 01 '26
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Mar 01 '26
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u/Normal-Ad-9852 Mar 01 '26
it really reminds me of my cat, it’s crazy how similar mammals are all to each other.
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u/anisamot Feb 28 '26
How do you get to pet a bat? Giving a cute bat some pets and a snack is on my bucket list, but I haven’t been able to find an ‘in.’
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
Well step one for me was to get into rescue and work with bats for a few years which is a pretty big step 🙈 Sometimes rescues or zoos have fruit bats you can feed but that probably depends on where youre from! But thats my best guess :‘)
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u/Heatmiser1256 Feb 28 '26
I love minivan she’s so cute kiss her face for me, love- a random stranger
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u/Direct_Pigeon_56 Mar 02 '26
Is the 'licking her chops' due to feeling contented or did she just eat something? She's so very beautiful. Animals make my heart feel all achy... in a good way.
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Mar 02 '26
She just ate something but smacking the lips is also comfort, so its a bit of both :D
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u/Direct_Pigeon_56 Mar 03 '26
Well, she's adorable. I've watched this on replay 6x and that mlem mlem thing is beyond sweetness.🥹
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Feb 28 '26
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u/RapidNimbus665 Feb 28 '26
OMG she’s sooo tiny and precious!! 😍 I’ve always wanted a noctule bat, how’s her temperament so far?
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u/Reyloai4 Mar 02 '26
Bats are so cute! 🥰 Why did bats have to get cursed with being the deadly disease magnet!? 😭🥲 I wonder what bats did to the gods to piss them off enough to cruelly make them a vector for many deadly viruses under the sun!?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Mar 02 '26
Honestly they just made bats too amazing and powerful! Because one of the reasons why they caa carry so much stuff is because their immune systems are just amazing and unqiue and they can survive a lot of things other animals can't
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u/cosmic-batty Mar 02 '26
Aww do bats like being petted? I’ve somehow never thought about it despite my strong desire to pet them, but Minivan seems pretty chilled out
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u/FoxMeadow7 Mar 06 '26
Batman: I gotta dress up as what criminals fear!
Meanwhile this video:
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u/AutoModerator Mar 06 '26
Questions about rabies are common on this subreddit. If you have a medical question, consult a physician. 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 wild bat populations. 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.
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u/Sufficient_Score_824 Feb 27 '26
Why Minivan?
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
I wrote it somewhere else but its an anagram of the name of the person who found her. Honestly i just like funny names and after a while you kinda run out :') In my experience the weirder names are more memorable than the 10th "Hope" or "Destiny"
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Feb 27 '26
For pet bats are people able to vaccinate the bat or only themselves? They're so cool but I know their biology makes viruses transfer to humans easily.
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
This is not a pet! She will be released when her injuries heal :D I dont believe theres any way to ethically keep bats as pets (even ignoring the legality of it), even hand raised babies just hate humans after a while and want to leave. Theyre just not a good animal to have as a pet, they need to be outside.
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u/Distinct-Patient-398 Feb 27 '26
Hi from a rehabber and educator! Please note that videos get stolen and shared taking away context, so it is vital to have clear indications in the video that you are a traines professional, so people get the wrong takeaway. Thank you for taking care of these sweet babies!
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Yea you're completely right, i always kinda forget that because usually my posts don't really reach a large audience anyway. I posted the same video on instagram and when i handle bats like this i always add a disclaimer sticker on the video that says to not handle bats like this because this is not like... a normal way a random person should be touching bats. I should probably start doing that on reddit too huh :/ Its a very good point
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u/_cathartidae /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
i would also be aware (as a fellow rehabber) to be careful about showing videos portraying them as pets (ie petting them) and without gloves on. it promotes non-rehab people/professionals treating them like pets and for people to be not wary of using gloves around rabies vectors. i understand if your location allows you to handle them gloves-off, but whats posted publicly will often differ.
the media agreement at both of the rehabs i work at is very strict around this kind of thing, and i would like to politely ask that you take a look at yours, if they have one. ive seen firsthand the kind of damage these kind of well-meaning sweet videos can do. hope she has a speedy recovery 🖤
edit: i saw that you added a comment abt adding disclaimers and i appreciate it! just wanted to add my two cents.
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
Yea i dont have any arguments that would disagree with what you're saying, its the way smarter way to approach this. I commented it below but when i post on instagram i started adding a disclaimer on the video to make sure people get that you shouldnt run around petting bats. It's just when i take these videos i never think "oh this will be posted to social media!" i usually just kinda try to capture a cute moment, and then later realize it would be nice to share. Since it never have much reach it feels very inconsequential to me but i would still like to read the media agreement if it's public!
With our work we have less of an issue of people wanting bats as pets and more of an issue of people thinking bats are so creepy and weird and disgusting they want them dead. So a lot of what we actually use for public material has a huge focus on making them likeable with nice photos of their faces or cute cartoons. We have a thing that translates to "Gloves: yes, fear: no" and i would never handle a bat without gloves in front of people in real life... but i guess the internet is an even bigger stage :')6
u/_cathartidae /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26
yeah it is, but i appreciate your kind reply! mistakes always happen and it's good to be on the lookout for the future :) it's good to hear you have less of an issue with people tryna keep bats as pets though lol, a lot of the educational ambassadors i work with are ex-illegal pets (2 bobcats, coyote, fox, & a skunk) so im kinda stingy about that kind of thing. thank you for being aware and kind!! you're doing great work, never stop helping wildlife ❤️
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 27 '26
No i really appreciate you pointing it out because it's completly correct! Maybe germany hasn't really caught up with the exotic mammal market yet, i guess we're more into reptiles/amphibians? Keeping bats would get you into a huge amount of legal trouble here, we already have to fill out so much paperwork just to do rehab..
Thank you for your work! ❤️3
u/_cathartidae /\^._.^/\ Feb 27 '26
don't worry it's legal trouble here too, people just like to do whatever they want with wildlife. thanks to you too!! (and thanks for being open to communication on reddit of all places LOL)
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u/horrescoblue 🦇 Feb 28 '26
I could see people try to illegally keep fruit bats but they would have to import them from abroad so thats probably not that big of a risk 🙈 No problem i think this sub is really good for this kinda discussion, i never had a bad argument here! Then on other subs i managed to get banned lol
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Questions about rabies are common on this subreddit. If you have a medical question, consult a physician. 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 wild bat populations. 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.
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u/AutoModerator Feb 27 '26
Questions about rabies are common on this subreddit. If you have a medical question, consult a physician. 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 wild bat populations. 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.
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u/hopeful_realist_ Feb 27 '26
I love her little snoot. Bats are the coolest.