Bat. Unusual pet: bat Bat as a pet

Not everyone keeps habitual pets at home: dogs, cats, ornamental birds, hamsters. Fans of unusual pets willy-nilly have to become real specialists in their maintenance, otherwise the animal will fall ill and die. But many are not afraid of new knowledge, and creatures that you absolutely do not expect to see out of nature settle in the homes of such enthusiasts. For example, the domestic bat.

What kind of animal is that

The bats- suborder of bats. The name is due to the anatomical structure: from the toes of the front paws through the sides to the hind limbs, an elastic membrane passes, connecting them (“hands” literally pass into the wings). In nature, they prefer to settle in caves, rock crevices. In villages and cities, they can be found in secluded dark places: in attics and in abandoned buildings. They are characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, they are not at all blind - they see (their vision is black and white), but they are perfectly oriented in the dark thanks to their remarkably developed hearing.

On average, bats are small in size (comparable to a small bird - a tit, a sparrow). At the same time, they are very nimble, and in flight they are able to reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. The body and head are covered with short fur that is soft to the touch, the muzzle, depending on the species, may be more or less similar to the muzzle of an ordinary mouse, but the ears of flyers are larger.

In freedom, these mice live for about 30 years. In captivity, they will live for a long time if the right conditions are provided.

Can you keep a bat at home?

Lthe bat is an extremely difficult pet.“And I want to fly!” It is impossible to ignore the desire of the animal (it will wither), which means that it will be necessary to provide airspace. This should be a free aviary of a sufficiently large size. It is necessary to cover the floor with paper and clean regularly, changing the bedding (animals defecate in flight).

But the main difficulty with the aviary is not its size. The point is that body temperature bats changes, this is due to their motor activity - it is different during sleep, rest and flight. The temperature must change accordingly. environment- several times during the day. The animal's digestive system requires a temperature of +30...35°C. If the temperature is lower, the mouse's stomach and intestines function worse - instead of digestive processes, putrefactive ones occur in it, which can soon lead to the death of the animal. Too low a temperature regime has a bad effect on the sleep of the animal - as a result, it gets sick.

To make the aviary suitable for keeping your pet:

• it should have several compartments with different temperatures, the compartments are separated by a stainless metal mesh with small cells and the edges are carefully sealed to avoid injury to the pet;
• holes are made between the compartments so that the mouse can independently choose a comfortable temperature mode;
• drinkers are required;
• a compartment is needed for hibernation, lasting 1.5 months - there should be a gradual decrease in temperature in it. The animal before hibernation is not fed for three days, 48 ​​hours before going to bed it is placed in a compartment evenly cooled to + 3 ... 5 ° C, and the condition of the animal is carefully monitored. If any deviations are noticeable, it is required to move the mouse into heat, artificially interrupting winter sleep. In the early days, an awakened pet is fed from hand with milk formula and a small portion of regular food.

What do bats eat at home: compiling a diet and diet

At home, the animal will willingly eat:

• flour worms;
• adult Khrushchev (May beetles);
• pupae;
• crickets;
• zofobas (larvae of black beetles);
• milk mixture.

To raise nutritional value worms, 3-4 days before the mouse meal, put them in flat jars and treat them abundantly with vitamins and protein: meat (boiled and raw), fresh vegetables (carrots, cabbage), you can give white bread dipped in milk. Before feeding the mouse, be sure to separate the worms from the remnants of their food.

The composition of the milk mixture for mice:

• milk (1 cup is enough);
• 1 egg yolk;
• peeled yeast for beer (or bran, wheat will be needed) -1 tsp;
• glycerophosphate Ca liquid or in granules - 5 g;
• honey or rosehip syrup - 1 tsp;
• vitamin E - 2 drops.

Sometimes you should add 2-3 crushed dragees of multivitamins to the finished product.

For the first feeding, the mouse should be picked up in its usual position and brought the mealworm directly to the mouth. Then the animal itself learns to eat them from the jar. Milk formula is fed with a pipette. They give it periodically for 7 days, then - a break for 1-2 weeks. Give out worms and insects in portions 5-6 times a week.

It is enough to feed a healthy individual once a day - in evening time when she starts to get active. Sick, weakened - 3-4 times a day, a liquid vitamin-yeast milk cocktail in her diet is required.

How to determine the amount of food your pet needs? At home, flyers do not hunt, they get food easier than wild ones - keep in mind that they are prone to gluttony. The red evening bat can “persuade” a hundred mature flour worms at a time, the pointed-eared bat can “persuade” 50–60. For their health, you need to reduce such portions by half. In the first days in a new place, during the period of adaptation, 1/4 of the maximum doses is enough - 15–20 worms will be enough.

Further, in the process of observing the animal, you will adjust the regimen and diet according to its individual needs. Don't feedmousefrom her table and other food not intended for her - this will kill the animal.

Other nuances of content

Individuals are very easily tamed. Aggression and fear in the animal can be caused by the wrong way to hold it - head up, and for it it is as "comfortable" as if we were held upside down.

HOh, keep in mind that you will have to communicate with the pet at night - somewhere from 23.00 to 07.00 the mouse is awake. Pay attention to a tame animal - otherwise you will get a depressive, lethargic animal.

If you do sleep at night, flights will disturb you with noise. And if you release the mouse into free flight, then furniture, appliances, curtains will be covered with droppings.

Bats can breed if you have a lot of them and they live in non-residential premises(old chicken coop, barn). Grown up babies will need a separate aviary.

These animals get sick when kept at home from:

• violations temperature regime;
• improper feeding (they are able to eat up to 60% of their own weight at a time. Limited activity and an excess of food lead to obesity and indigestion, both conditions are deadly for animals).

Video: how a mouse can behave in an apartment

You can see for yourself: a bat at home is a big responsibility, not to mention the costs of arranging its habitat, heating, feeding (you won’t grow food for it yourself). Think thrice before you get such a pet.

Bat - a pet

When choosing a living creature for the role of a pet and friend, most of us are guided by our own taste. However, there are those who want to shock the public and specifically choose a truly exotic creature for the role of a pet. So they appear next to a person under one roof, ... Real extreme people, they do try to settle in their house, well, not a pet at all. Okay, or. But what about a bat?

Today, on the pages of our new article, we will just talk about keeping bats at home. Is it worth choosing such a neighbor? How to take care of a bat? What is fraught with her living in your house ...

About bats

Bats are classified by zoologists as a group of bats. In Nature, these creatures can live up to 30 years. In captivity, with the right content, a little less. Bats are called bats because of their unusual wing structure. So, the hind legs of the animal, the lateral parts of the body and the fingers on the front legs - all this is connected to each other by a special elastic membrane.

The size of a bat is about the size of a sparrow or a titmouse, however, it is much more agile and faster than birds. Its head and body are covered with thick, short, soft fur. The shape of the head resembles the shape of the head of an ordinary gray mouse.

The bat has as many as 38 sharp teeth. It develops a flight speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour, can navigate well in the dark, despite being almost blind, has excellent hearing.

In Nature, bats live in the crevices of mountains, and caves, in the attics of old houses. In principle, to meet with them - you need to try very hard, as these creatures are shy and avoid the presence of people.

Is it possible to keep a bat at home

Now imagine you accidentally found a bat that you think needs your help, or maybe your friend brought it to you. Where to keep such an unusual pet? I would like to point out right away that

You will need to provide the bat with a spacious enclosure in which it can move freely. It will not be easy to keep the enclosure clean, as the defecation processes in mice occur during the flight. So, it will be difficult to clean up in the aviary.

Features of keeping bats at home

Temperature regime

These unusual creatures have unstable body temperature, depending on physical activity. Accordingly, you will need to adjust to the pet's activity mode, and change the temperature regime several times a day. In order for food to be well digested in the stomach of a bat, it must be at least 30 degrees. If the temperature is lower, then malfunctions will occur in the work of the gastrointestinal tract of the bat, which will lead to serious complications and even death of the pet.
Low temperature also negatively affects the sleep of mice. And this has a bad effect on their condition.

To maintain a comfortable temperature regime, it will be necessary to install special thermostats, and make several compartments in the aviary, dividing them with a metal mesh, the edges of which will be sealed so that the mouse cannot get hurt about them. Compartments should connect spacious manholes. Different compartments will have different temperatures. And you will need to let the mouse choose on its own which compartment it should be in.

Humidity

Bats love high humidity, so you will need to provide them with comfortable readings. Install several drinkers in the aviary and make sure that there is constantly fresh and pure water. Bats often hover over drinkers, rapidly flap their wings and raise mist, spraying it around the enclosure.

Hibernation in bats

With the onset of the calendar winter, bats hibernate, which lasts at least 1.5 months. The body of the pet needs to be prepared for winter sleep. A few days before hibernation, the bat is no longer fed and is placed in an enclosure where the temperature gradually decreases.

To bring the mouse out of hibernation, the temperature in the compartment is gradually raised. After waking up, the bat is fed often and little by little, gradually returning to the usual diet and the usual portion sizes.

Nowadays, you can meet a lot of unusual pets. Basically, their acquisition is carried out under the influence of fashion, books, films, etc. But not all animals easily adapt to life in apartments.

Feeding

A bat at home involves a very complex and extensive set of care measures. Only an experienced chiropterologist can provide the animals with the necessary conditions. In order for an exotic pet not to feel discomfort in captivity, the owner will have to overcome a lot of difficulties in order to provide his ward with good nutrition.

Since mealworms, beetles, and larvae form the basis of the fruit bat's diet in captivity, the main difficulty will come down to acquiring or growing live food on your own.

Aviary

Since representatives of this family often fly, they need a lot of space in the aviary. In addition, the allocated area must be constantly kept clean - for this it is recommended to cover the floor with newspapers (for its prompt cleaning).

Domestic bats, like their relatives in nature, constantly change their body temperature, which depends on the motor activity of the animal. During the flight, sleep or awakening, the temperature regime is always different. In this regard, in the room in which bats are kept, the air temperature must constantly change. For example, the temperature that is supposed for the digestive process is in no way suitable for sleep, and so on.

If you ignore the observance of the correct temperature regime, processes can develop that will significantly shorten the life of nocturnal animals. To solve this problem, the enclosure is divided into compartments, each of which is maintained at a different temperature; "rooms" are interconnected.

With such an organization of the aviary, the mouse itself will choose comfortable for her in this moment conditions.

night guest

Not everyone dares to keep a bat, however, it happens that the animals themselves accidentally end up in a house, apartment, outbuildings. In these cases, it is necessary to carefully, without injuring the animal, catch it and release it into the wild. However, how to catch a bat at home? One of the common methods for catching these bats is the method in which spider webs are placed, but in this case a person cannot predict the route of the animal's flight. In addition, with such fishing, there is a high probability of damage to the animal.

If the mouse flew into the house, then a white sheet can be used to catch it: the animal has a special love for this color, and it is highly likely that it will sit there.

In the article I will describe appearance and lifestyle of bats. I’ll tell you about whether it is possible to keep them at home, how to organize care, create suitable conditions for life. I will name the reasons why a bat is not the most suitable as a pet.

The sight of bats sleeping upside down in the corner of a zoo cage sometimes suggests that such a cute animal could be settled at home. However, a very small number of people do contain such pets. They are often released back to their natural environment after successfully healing from injuries, with the onset of spring.

What is a bat

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera. They are distinguished from the rest by flexible membranous wings. Leather membranes stretch between the long toes of the front paws, pass along them and the sides of the body to the hind legs. After the flight, the wings fold.

The rounded head and short body are covered with short thick fur, its color is from red-brown to dark gray.

The front and hind legs have sharp claws with which the animal clings to branches, stone ledges, and twigs. On the ground, it can only clumsily crawl.

The ears are large, wide, vital for orientation in the air. Bats are nocturnal animals. Flying out to hunt, they emit sounds at high frequencies, which are reflected from objects and picked up by the ears. Thanks to this skill - echolocation - the distance to obstacles is estimated, prey is located.

The sense of smell in these animals is sensitive. Vision is developed much worse, practically not used. Eyes do not tolerate bright light.

Only fruit bats have good eyesight and do not use echolocation in flights.

Most bat species feed on insects. IN tropical forests there are lovers of fruit, fish, flowers, blood.

Contrary to erroneous opinion, vampire mice do not attack people, they feed on the blood of birds and animals, drinking about 1 tablespoon at a time.

Bats choose secluded dark places where they sleep during the day after night hunting. During sleep, they hang upside down, hooked on their hind legs. The cold season is spent in a state of hibernation.

They give birth to cubs 1-2 times a year.

These animals live in large flocks, but they do not unite in families. Basically, they live in nature up to about 5 years.

How they behave as a pet

Bats kept in captivity cannot be tamed.

They will not recognize the owner, even if they live in his house for a long time, they will not become full-fledged pets, as they are not adapted for such a life.

The maximum that can be achieved is a positive reaction to gentle strokes on the coat.

It is not worth holding the animal with your hands in a horizontal position, it is unpleasant for him, and he will try to escape, biting and scratching.

Bats, having gradually studied the area around their home, get used to it. When moving to another house, for the first time they will carefully move around unfamiliar rooms.

Other pets should be isolated from contact with the bat, especially when it is released to fly. Large ones are dangerous because they can attack and bite the animal, while small ones will confuse it, being perceived as possible prey. In addition, bats are carriers of many diseases, including rabies.

What species can be kept at home

Both bats and fruit bats (flying foxes) take root at home. The first insectivores, the second eat fruits, so it is easier for them to organize food.

Species differ in size, color, wingspan, length and shape of the nose, teeth.

The muzzle of fruit bats is elongated and looks like a fox.

It is very difficult to create all the necessary conditions for the full life of this animal. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the special literature before starting. Skillful care can most often be organized only by biologists.

Conditions

Bats are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations. The constant mark of the thermometer is uncomfortable for them, causing the rapid development of various diseases.

In nature, they fly from place to place in search of the most favorable microclimate - an ambient temperature of 30 ° C is needed for digestion of food, cooler air (20 ° C) is suitable for flying and sleeping. Therefore, you need to add or reduce the heating of the air in the room several times a day, or it will be several rooms with different temperatures inside and free access for pets.

In addition, the animals love humidity, they will need several drinkers and air humidification with a special device during hibernation.

room

A spacious enclosure or room is required in which bats can fly whenever they please. There should be no lighting in the sleeping area. The problem of changing the temperature is solved by dividing the dwelling into compartments, installing heaters.

In nature, they always hide where the air temperature is not too low, constant, and hibernate.

Feeding

Bats eat insects. Out of hibernation they have very fast exchange substances that affect appetite. Every day they need to prepare the necessary amount of food for saturation.

You need to give food once a day, in the evenings, avoiding overfeeding. Excess nutrition will lead to sad consequences in the form of indigestion, obesity.

After the end of hibernation, they are first fed in small portions, gradually increasing them to a normal volume.

You can feed the animal with flour worms, beetles, larvae, maggots, cockroaches. They are kept in jars, fed with protein foods enriched with vitamins, or bought in specialized stores.

Sometimes, in the absence of normal nutrition, you can replace it with a mixture of milk, yolk chicken egg, brewer's yeast, honey.

Fruit bats eat the pulp of fruits - apples, oranges, bananas, mangoes, papaya.

Toilet

It is impossible to teach the animal to go to the toilet in the same place. Natural needs, he celebrates where necessary, more often during flights.

At the same time, because of the sensitive sense of smell, bats are intolerant of the uncleaned floor of the enclosure. Their home should be cleaned frequently.

Usually the floor is covered with sheets of paper, newspapers, which can be easily replaced with new ones as they get dirty.

walks

If there is enough space in the enclosure, the animal will not need to go outside. In the apartment, you should let him fly every day, stretch his wings.

To return to the dwelling, the bat must be carefully caught. You can use the inclusion of a bright light, forcing the animal to stop flying, a white cloth that attracts attention, a spacious box.

Care

To get as close as possible to natural conditions it is worth helping a bat to hibernate once a year. To do this, it is transferred to where the temperature is lower. Hibernation is interrupted by moving back to the warm compartment.

Why You Shouldn't Have a Bat at Home

A bat at home creates a lot of inconvenience for the owner. Her rhythm of life is opposite to the human one. During the day, the animal hangs motionless in the corner of the cage and sleeps, but at night it flies, making noise, defecates anywhere. Organize proper nutrition and care is a lot of work.

Before you settle a bat at home, you should make sure that it is not contagious.

These animals are carriers of rabies, some dangerous viruses. If bitten, see a doctor.

Many people get pets, focusing on their taste. Someone wants to have cats, dogs, hamsters, birds at home, and some prefer the exotic, for example, a bat. Few dare to keep this animal, which is practically not adapted for living at home.

What is a bat

These mice belong to the order Chiroptera. They live for about 30 years. They were called bats because the structure of their wings is rather unusual. Hind legs, the sides of the body and the toes of the front paws are interconnected elastic membrane.

In addition, the structure of the bat has the following:

• It is about the size of a small bird, like a sparrow or a titmouse, but at the same time it is very nimble.
• The head and body are covered with short fur, thick and soft.
• The head of this mammal is like that of an ordinary gray mouse.
• Sharp teeth reach 38 pieces.

The flight speed can reach 50 km/h. The bat is very well oriented in the dark, although it is practically blind, and all with excellent hearing. It lives mainly in caves and rock crevices.

House bat room

Keep these animals at home quite troublesome and difficult. In their natural habitat, they fly a lot. At home, they require a spacious enclosure in which the bats would move freely. The floor of the enclosure must always be kept clean, because these mammals defecate during the flight.

Bats have unstable body temperatures. These fluctuations directly depend on their physical activity. Therefore, the room temperature should be changed several times a day. To digestive system these animals worked well, the air temperature should be 30 degrees. At lower temperatures, the stomach of bats begins to perform its functions poorly, diseases occur and the animal dies. In addition, low temperatures have a bad effect on the sleep of mice, which also leads to various diseases.

To solve the problem with temperature, they make an aviary with several compartments, which are separated from each other by metal nets. The edges of the mesh must be well sealed so that the animal does not accidentally get hurt on them. Also between compartments it is necessary to make holes, allowing the bat to choose a temperature regime that is comfortable for her. Ignoring the correct temperature regime contributes to the occurrence of processes that significantly reduce the life of bats.

The aviary is supplied with drinkers in in large numbers so that there is a lot of humidity, which these animals love so much. They often hover over drinkers and begin to flap their wings very quickly, raising mist.

With the onset of winter, bats fall into a short hibernation that lasts a month and a half. Feeding is stopped a few days before and then they are moved to a compartment where there is a gradual decrease in temperature. If during hibernation the state of this mammal changes in any way, it should be moved to a warm compartment, interrupting hibernation. When a pet bat wakes up, it should be fed small meals at first.

Feeding the domestic bat

Feeding a bat kept at home is very difficult. Her diet is:

• Flour worms.
• Adult bugs.
• Pupae.
• Dairy mixtures.

To make the worms more nutritious, they are planted in special jars and feed heavily on food containing protein and vitamins. Also, bats are given milk mixtures using a pipette. The mixture usually consists of milk, chicken yolk, brewer's yeast or wheat bran, calcium glycerophosphate, honey, rosehip syrup and vitamin E. Regularly saturate the mixture with crushed multivitamin dragees.

The first time feeding is carried out in this way: the bat is held in hands in its natural position and bring a flour worm to the mouth. After that, the animals themselves must learn to eat the worms in the jar. They are very voracious. At one time, they are able to eat up to 60% of their mass, which can lead to indigestion and death of the animal. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly monitor the amount of food they consume.

Why you should not start a bat at home

This animal very quickly becomes tame, he loves affection and attention. However, those who want to have a pet bat need to know that:

Therefore, the decision to have such a pet should be considered and approached with all responsibility.