Did you know that there are 13 species of bats that call Florida home. While bats are traditionally misunderstood animals that have been immortalized by vampires and been given bad reputations of being blood sucking monsters, they are actually quite beneficial. Bats are great at keeping mosquito populations at bay and can help spread seeds to help plant populations grow.

Bats have one thing in common with dolphins, they use echolocation as an onboard land sonar system to find food in the dark. Bats face a debilitating disease caused by a fungus that can affect there population known as white-nose syndrome. Bats are thought to be nuisance animals that carry rabies, but that is not the case.

Bats are highly beneficial and do not pose much threat to humans. Like most animals bats will only defend themselves against humans as a last resort. So lets appreciate bats for all that they do and their role in the Florida ecosystems. After all we can use all the help we can get to lower mosquitos in Florida.