this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2026
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Bats
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Bats are cool
Bats are the only true flying mammals. There are over 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found on nearly every part of the planet. Not only are they cute, they are also important...
Studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Without bats’ pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control we wouldn’t have bananas, avocados, mangoes, agave, or cacao… that’s right, bats bring us tequila and chocolate!
Found a bat in need of help?
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Do not handle it with bare hands! Bats can carry rabies.
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Here's a map of worldwide rescues and temporary care instructions.
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Bats should never be kept as pets: Here's why.
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Such an adorable bat face!
At least it got its feet up there to take a bit of the pressure off itself. I hope it is happy and healthy now!
Is this an issue for bats when they stay inverted too long? I naively thought they were not concern by this kind of thing, since upside down is a natural pose for them.
It being inverted is the good thing I was mentioning.
I read this article on why bats hang upside down, and it mentions their feet function like the owls do, where this constant grip is actually the relaxed state.
While it looks like this bat could stand on the ground and still keep the weight off of its neck, their legs are designed for hanging and standing is much more difficult and metabolically intensive, so it probably would end up taking much more force on its neck after a short time and it would be losing a ton more energy to keep itself alive until it was freed.
Since it did manage to hook its feet, other than not being able to leave, it could just relax there and even possibly go into torpor to stay alive for a much longer time until rescue, making its chance of surviving this greater than if it were unable to hang on like this.