Bats get a bad rap, but our little furry flying friends are actually a big part of our ecosystem, and did you know many species are endangered? There are some ways to help!

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Bats May Look Spooky, But They Aren't

Our winged friends may be well known in horror movies and Halloween decor (and for that one incident with Ozzy Osbourne IYKYK), but did you know bats are actually pollinators?

USDA.gov had this to say about bats:

Most people associate pollination with bees and birds but often forget the work of their furry colleagues: bats. Bats take the night shift, playing a major role in pollinating crops and spreading seeds.

So these guys may have a spooky look, but they're really important for our environment.

Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife: Bat Conservation is Important

Recently Kentucky Department of Fish & WIldlife took to Facebook to share some cool bat facts. Here's what their Facebook post says:

There are over 1,400 bat species known worldwide and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Bats are NOT BLIND; they have excellent hearing and good eyesight.
Bats are the ONLY mammal that can fly by their own power.
Bats pollinate and disperse seeds for many important plants including agave fruit (tequila), carob, and cloves.
On a typical night, insectivorous bats consume their own weight in insect prey- providing excellent, natural pest control!
Almost 40% of bat species in North America are in severe decline and some are already listed as threatened or endangered.
****What can YOU do to HELP? Provide good bat habitat on your land- minimize tree clearing, protect streams and wetlands, plant a pollinator garden and provide a water source; consider placing a bat house. ALSO - join Kentucky Wild! Funds from Kentucky Wild memberships help purchase field gear used to study and monitor Kentucky’s bats.
CLICK TO JOIN: https://app.fw.ky.gov/kywild/

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If you're interested in learning more about bats, you can check out all the information on them through Kentucky Fish & Wildlife's website, here. They have a lot of really good information, as well as answers to questions like what should you do if a bat gets into your house, etc...

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.