Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So not box turtle related at all, but I thought I'd share some pics of something pretty cool that happened this afternoon. The neighbor's kids came over and told me to come check out this bat that was giving birth next to their house. When I got there, sure enough, a baby bat was being pushed out in front of their garage. Kind of cool, but still a little scary. After about an hour, she had two babies and then crawled up the side of the garage. I then called animal control and am waiting for them to pick them up.

Just glad this didn't go on in my turtle pen.

Thanks for sharing that. It was really interesting. A little sad that she had to deliver there.

That is insanely cool, but why did you call animal control, if they are healthy, bats are very benifical, insect eaters, good to have around, we have lots in our back yard, if fact I was watching them fly around at dusk tonight. You only need to worry about rabies if they act goofy, or are half dead, otherwise they are good to have around, they don't hurt a thing except flying insects.
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.1 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

Because I'm trying to leave all the insects for my boxies, of course!

Really though, I was torn on what to do. It was my first experience with a bat, much less one giving birth, and I just had to make up my mind what to do. My neighbors have two kids, one of them a nine-year-old curious boy and I just didn't want him to get bit or something. I started to feel like I shouldn't have called right after, but the good news, animal control never showed up and the bat and her babies flew away.

When my neighbor got home I asked if he heard the news, which he had and he said he would have smacked it with a shovel. And I told him if there's a possibility that bat can help cut down the mosquito population, I'm glad he wasn't around.

Your a hero.
You kept her safe until she could deliver, recoup and fly away.
I'm a big bat fan.
Check out BCI sometime.
Fascinating critters.
thanks for posting those pix
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Patsy

Well, I'm glad there was a happier ending, which is better than the "shovel wacking" ending Killing a bat giving birth is no different than purposely running over a boxie or snake on the road, completely senseless. And, I'm not even a PETA guy either, I bowhunt, and yes I kill animals, but I eat them.
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.1 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

Curtis,

Could you e-mail me those pictures to the hotmail address, if I can share them with some professionals? One of the MATTS founders is now a bat rehabber in VA, and another well-known member of the chelonian crowd is married to a bat researcher. I'd like to forward the pictures to them.

Katrina