Rehabilitation of Insectivorous Bats: The Basics and Beyond

1. Rehabilitation of Insectivorous Bats: The Basics and Beyond Deborah Kemmerer Cottrell DVM West End Animal Hospital westendanimal.com

2. Must-Have References

3. Lollar/French Book Best reference available Step-by-step Color illustrations Order at www.batworld.org Barnard Book Good basic reference New edition due out 2006 Old edition available free of charge online at www.basicallybats.org

4. Common Insectivorous Bat Species • Mexican Freetail (Tadarida braziliensis) • Evening Bat (Nicticeus humeralis) • Southeastern Bat (Myotis austrorparius) • Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) • Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) • Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus) • Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) • Seminole Bat (Lasiurius seminolus)

5. Unique ears and nose Note long tail Mexican Freetail10-12 gramsMost common bat in the U.S.

6. Note hairless face Rich, dark fur Evening Bat7-9 grams

7. Note haired face Note light color ventral surface Southeastern Bat5-7 grams

8. Evening vs Southeastern

9. Face like giant Evening Bat Haircoat thick and dark Big Brown Bat15-18 grams

10. Note long ears and narrow snout Note pinkish skin over bones of wing Little Brown Bat7-10 grams

11. Note long, thin ears and small eyes Note straw-like fur Eastern Pipistrelle Bat4-7 grams

12. Note wide nose and small ears Fur is bright red to mahogany Red Bats13-15 grams

13. Note slightly darker face than Red Bat Body fur very similar to Red Bat Seminole Bat13-5 grams

14. Capture NetsLarge Tomahawk net lengthens to 18 feet and small butterfly net makes easy grabbing

15. Capture • Any rehabber working with bats needs to be protected against rabies. Not doing so is simply not acceptable • Emphasize caller is never to touch bat bare-handed • Caller to put box or towel over bat if on horizontal surface • If on vertical surface, cover bat with net, then use hand to enclose • Bats are usually less scared of bare hand than of glove.

16. Using Nets • When using net, be very careful of wings. If bat is flying, try to anticipate direction and come from behind it if possible. Less speed differential less likely to cause damage if edge of net hits wing. • Butterfly net easy to use and very gentle • Can simply place net over most hanging bats very slowly, then slide hand under rim

17. Transport Consider safety, comfort, ease of use • Plastic critter carrier • Port-A-Bug carriers • Camera Bags

18. Plastic Critter CarriersSturdy. Can break, but won’t easily smash down; my favorite for overnighters or bed & breakfast bats. Cloth should be flannel, baby blanket, denim or other non-looped fabric to avoid trapping nails

19. Port-A-BugComfortable for bats, but delicate and easy to squash

20. Camera BagsWork well for larger species; small ones can slip out unless bag has mesh inside

21. Intake Forms • Name, address,phone number/email of person who found bat • Date and location bat found • Circumstances of injury or illness • Any treatment administered • Describe any contact with unvaccinated persons

22. Weighing InGram scale essential to weigh in 0.1 gram incrementsFairly good quality available cheap online at www.greenkingdom.com

23. Intake Evaluation Physical exam includes: • Hydration status • Wounds • Nutritional status • Mental status • Parasite Control

24. Hydration StatusDifficult to assess; safe to administer subcutaneous fluids in almost any situation

25. Rules of Thumb for SQ Fluids • Give 1 ml for each 10 grams body weight • Lactated Ringer’s, Normosol, 0.9% Saline all safe in almost any instance if giving fluids for fewer than three days. • If giving fluids daily for more than three days, use ½ strength saline (0.45%) to avoid sodium overload. • If animal is dehydrated, always give fluids before attempting to feed. Wait at least two hours after SQ fluids before giving food.

26. WoundsMost often wing injuries; most torso injuries won’t survive to see you

27. Nutritional StatusFairly easy to assess using chest-to-waist ratio

28. Mental Status • Don’t assume Rabies because bat is biting furiously. Many bite anything when in pain. • Don’t assume rabies because bat is comatose or unresponsive. Dehydration, starvation, infection, pain can cause those also.

29. Parasite Control • Deworm with Ivermectin/propylene glycol • Deworm with albendazole? Can’t make solid recommendation right now • Kill bat mites with Revolution. Dilute to ½ strength with water, then use one drop from 25 gauge needle on bat topically • Parasites more of an issue than originally thought in captive bats. Stay tuned for more info soon.

30. Parasite Study • Trying to determine significance of intestinal parasites in wild and captive bats • Send fresh fecal samples. Wrap in aluminum foil with a wet cotton ball, then mail to me in a bubble envelope. • Need samples from both healthy and sick bats • Contact info on website at www.westendanimal.com

31. Mealworm Glop • Complete hand-feeding formula for overnighters, debilitated bats, and weanling pups.

32. Glop FormulaMy formula not exactly same as Lollar/French, but has worked well for me.Mix until very smooth in blender: • 5 small jars turkey baby food • 1 jar banana baby food • 1 cup mealworms • 2 tbsp Vionate Powder • 2 tbsp Missing Link Feline Formula • 4 inches Nutrical or High Cal

33. Feeding Adults For Short-Term Care • “Overnighters” or “Bed & Breakfast” bats do well on glop • Not usually worth time to teach “mealworm theory”

34. Feeding Adults for Long-Term Care • Must teach mealworm theory • Glop at least once weekly to help prevent hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome) • Use of captured bugs not recommended due to parasites. Crickets can carry liver flukes, etc. • Mealworm substrate highly varied; lots of opinions

35. Mealworms • I use Harrison’s Baby Bird Mash as primary substrate. Expensive, but worth it. • Sliced sweet potatoes in substrate provide hydration and a few extra nutrients • Prior to serving worms in bowl, spray with Carnivore Care Vitamin Spray and dust with Missing Link Feline Formula

36. Mealworm TheoryDifficulty varies by speciesFreeTails most difficult. Start by cutting heads off worms, then annoying bat until it bites worm

37. Glop as Nutritional Supplement • Large body of evidence for hepatic lipidosis in long-term captives. Unknown whether primarily nutritional; other factors such as stress/cortisol probably play a part. • Evening Bats seem most susceptible; Southeasterns very resistant • Symptoms include abdominal enlargement, obesity, hair loss, then loss of appetite • Weekly supplement of even 0.5 ml glop appears effective preventively for most

38. Feeding Infants/Orphans:FreeTails

39. Use a Cup WarmerFreeTails like milk very hotUse shot glass or other thick-bottom container to prevent scalding of milk

40. Feeding TechniqueForce sponge with hot milk into mouth. Pup will start nursing. Keep sponge wet with hot milk.

41. Keep Up!Keep sponges wet so they don’t suck air

42. Feed Optimal AmountThis bat is a little too full

43. The BatsicleThis is a publicity shot for newspaper.Most attention ever for us for bat public relations, but don’t do it for real; you’ll have to bathe them each time

44. Feeding Non-Freetail InfantsNote that syringe is positioned so milk does not run down front of bat

45. Housing for Long-Term CaptivesMust consider: • Comfort and safety • Ease of cleaning • Environmental enrichment • Educational value/accessibility

46. Reptarium Screen CagesThese are pushed against backing with a heating pad attached. Several layers of baby blankets allow different cliques to hang out together

47. Environmental Enrichment

48. Education/Access

49. Population Control in Captive ColoniesNeutering males a viable option

50. Flight TestingLarge cage ideal, especially for Freetails. This 40 X 10 X 8 ft cage at our hospital was built with a grant. Rule is 10 min of flight for every week in captivity prior to release.