The Bat: Wings in the Night Sky

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Fenton draws on his 35 years of international research to present an
empathetic and informative portrait of the bats of the world. The work,
which is both a photo album and a readable natural history, covers
roosts, food, behavior, communication, ecology, habitat, vision,
echolocation, classification, anatomy, common and scientific names, and
many of the myths and terrors associated with bats.

There are 900 species of bats, of which 19 are found in Canada. The
lure of bats, Fenton says, is a combination of their diversity and our
ignorance, While the hairy-legged vampire still has few supporters,
Canadian bats have an active fan club. The old myths (they’ll get in
your hair; they have rabies) have been replaced with hype (they each eat
4000 mosquitoes a night), which, while more positive, is nonetheless a
myth.

Bats, Fenton says, are high-tech marvels, able to see with their ears,
thanks to biosonar. The vampires have their own special pharmaceutical
trick: they secrete an anticoagulant to keep their food source bleeding
until they’ve finished dinner.

The book includes little-known information on bats (e.g., they’re
prey for hawks and eagles) and on their opportunism in finding roosts
(not all bats roost in caves).

The dramatic color plates highlight the great variety in the appearance
of various species. Some have funny noses, many have enormous ears.
Wrap-around wings are not surprising but the variations in fur color are
less well known. While some have faces that seem hideously distorted,
many appear cute and cuddly.

This book is well timed; people’s appreciation of nature is growing
beyond birds and wildflowers to encompass other residents of the earth.
The bat’s turn in the spotlight has arrived.