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October 2006
B-b-bats At Night

"Twinkle, twinkle little bat
How I wonder what you're at! 
Up above the world you fly, 
Like a tea-tray in the sky”
Lewis Carroll

What to Do This Month:
Enter your fall seasonal observations on Nature Net's Earth Alive.

While out listening to nocturnal animals, don't forget to look up at the stars.

Learn about one of the nation's largest hibernaculums right here in Wisconsin - and what a hibernaculum is!

Check out family events at area Nature Net sites!

Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Night Noise
To a great extent, bats use their ears to ‘see’ in the night.   Encourage your children to listen closely in the night.  At the count of three have everyone stay silent and listen to the night sounds.  Which ones are man-made?  Which ones are natural?  How does this differ from the noises of the day?  Why?

Instant Outdoor Expert:
Bats Eat Bugs
"Bats eat bugs, they don't eat people" is not only a favorite Nature Net staff song, it's an allusion to the many misconceptions people have regarding bats.  Though there are around one thousand known bat species worldwide (comprising about 20% of all mammal species), all eight Wisconsin bat species are indeed insect eaters.  To that end, the micro-bats (versus mega-bats of the tropical eastern hemisphere) have developed many adaptations for insect-eating, including the use of a highly developed sense of hearing, called echolocation. As insectivorous bats take flight, they send out an ultrasonic pulse from their mouth or nostrils, and analyze the returning echo to determine the size, shape and distance of prey or other objects in the vicinity.  Interestingly, the oldest bat fossil record, from the Eocene epoch 55-35 million years ago, shows skeletal evidence of the ability to echolocate.  So, although bats appear to have an erratic flight pattern, they are truly skilled flyers, as the song's second line attests: "bats eat bugs, they don't get stuck in your hair" - another mistaken belief out the window!

Clear up other bat misconceptions, including the notion that all bats have rabies at the Center for Infectious Diseases' website regarding rabies; or that vampire bats live in Wisconsin on National Geographic's Creature Feature website.

Plus, learn why bats are so important to the environment and what you can do to help save critical bat habitat from Bat Conservation International or the Natural Resources Magazine article entitled, "Respect for the Night Patrol".

Eco-Exercise:
Bat & Moth
Bats locate their prey (moths and other insects) through a process called echo-location (listening for their location based on how quickly their "voice" echoes back.)  With a group of friends, choose and blindfold one who will be the ‘bat’.  Choose three others who will be ‘moths’.  At the count of three, the moths should walk around the bat making a small noise (either by saying "moth, moth", wearing bells or shaking a simple container filled with rice or gravel).  The ‘bat’ should listen closely and try to tag the ‘moths’ for dinner.

Featured Nature Net Site

Nature Craft

Henry Vilas Zoo
On June 30, 1904, Col. William F. and Anna M. Vilas gave a large tract of land to the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association "for the uses and purposes of a public park and pleasure ground".  The park was named for the Vilas's son, Henry,  and the first animal exhibits were created in 1911.
In what has proved to be a defining and truly visionary move, the Vilas Family stipulated that the park always be admission free. As the zoo developed within the park, it too remained free. Today it's an extraordinary asset that few communities our size can claim. Indeed, the Henry Vilas Zoo is one of only a few, no-admission, free parking AZA accredited zoos nationwide. 
As the Zoo approaches its 100th anniversary, the Henry Vilas Park Zoological Society has commenced its Zoo Century campaign with a goal of supporting major renovations at the Henry Vilas Zoo. The extensive planning, research, fundraising and resulting renovations will ensure the Henry Vilas Zoo is able to provide the best possible animal exhibits and animal care for another 100 years. The Zoo will remain a valuable asset to the community and all families, especially children, will continue to have the unique opportunity to learn about and better understand the animal kingdom, and our role in conserving it.
And yes, they have bats!

Grounds Hours:
9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. DAILY

Building Hours:
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Sock Bat
Not everyone appreciates a bat flying around their house.  But with this bat, made from recycled materials and simple craft supplies, you're sure to make an exception.

Cut the cuff from a brown sock and stuff the foot with fiberfill, closing the opening with half of a dark-colored pipe cleaner.  Bend the two ends of the cleaner to make the bats' legs.  Now wrap a one-inch piece of pipe cleaner around each leg, about 3/4-inch from the end to create toes for the bat.  Cut ears, eyes and nose holes from a piece of brown paper.  With a marker, add pupils to the eyes and then glue the features to the front of the bat to make its face.
To make the wings for the bat, wrap pipe cleaners back and forth across the inside of the wire hanger to make a network of bones.  Now cut the leg from a pair of nylon stockings and slip it over the hanger.  Poke the hook of the hanger through the middle of the stocking.  Make a knot at each end of the stocking, making sure it is pulled tightly across the hanger and trim off any extra stocking. Pin the wings to the back of the bat with safety pins, making sure the hook end of the hanger is behind the bat's feet.  For safety, wrap the hanger hook with masking tape.
Your bat is ready to take flight.  

If your sock bat - or the real bats in your neighborhood -  are in need of a bat home, here's link to the DNR's Bat House Plans - Assembly Directions. 

(craft adapted from "Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About The Wild" by Kathy Ross)

Learn about other Nature Net sites

Nature Craft Archives

"I Love The Night" by Dar Hosta (ages baby-4)

"Stellaluna" by Janell Cannon (ages 4-8)

"Pippa's First Summer" by Catherine Badgley (ages 4-8)

"Bats!: Strange and Wonderful" by Laurence P. Pringle (ages 4-8)

"Shadows of the Night" by Barbara Bash (ages 4-8)

"Bats at the Beach" by Brian Lies (ages 4-8)

"Bat Loves the Night: Read and Wonder" by Nicola Davies (ages 4-8)

"Outside And Inside Bats" by Sandra Markle (ages 9-12)

Find Family events on the Nature Net Calendar of Events

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