Nearly 700 frozen bats nursed back to health after surviving chilly weather - The Guardian US

More than 700 chaotic bats were released in the Houston, Texas area connected Wednesday nighttime aft undergoing astir 1 week of rehabilitation from vulnerability to frigid temperatures.

The Houston Humane Society and Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition announced the Mexican free-tailed bats were released backmost to their colony nether the city’s Waugh Drive bridge. “Hundreds” much were returned to different colony astatine the Pearland Fite Road Bridge successful adjacent Pearland, Texas precocious Wednesday, the enactment said connected its Facebook page.

Between Friday and Tuesday, 1,544 chilly chiropterans were rescued successful and astir Houston. The winged mammals’ peril stemmed from freezing temperatures connected Thursday nighttime of past week; galore of the Waugh Bridge bat colony suffered “hypothermic shock”, the Houston Humane Society said.

As their assemblage temperatures plummeted, the tiny flyers “were incapable to clasp connected to their roost and fell 15 to 30ft onto the pavement”. Of the bats saved this week, 929 were rescued successful adjacent Brazoria county.

As they person small assemblage fat, these bats can’t past erstwhile stuck connected the crushed successful freezing temperatures. Most of the fallen bats survived, with galore requiring conscionable vigor and hydration “to speedy commencement their systems”, according to a Houston Humane Society Facebook post.

Mary Warwick, a manager astatine the Houston Humane Society-Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition, said connected Tuesday that astir 60 bats were inactive being warmed and hydrated successful an incubator. The remainder were successful canine kennels, to support them cool; this, successful turn, lessens their request to eat.

“It’s hard to provender bats successful care, due to the fact that they usually devour successful flight, truthful we would person to force-feed 1,544 bats, which is simply a lot,” Warwick said.

Warwick said that immoderate of the bats present successful canine kennels were successful her attic. They were placed successful kennels corresponding to their respective colony.

Bats look meteorological dangers different than the cold. Rapidly changing weather, linked to planetary warming and the climate crisis, tin termination bats from overheating oregon deficiency of food.

Recent wildfires that person exceeded humanities blazes successful size and scope person razed precious bat habitat, according to the National Park Service. Outside of cities, bats residing successful caves are astatine hazard from sweeping rainfall arsenic it tin submerge roosts, wiping retired full colonies trapped inside.

Earlier-than-normal freezing temperatures person besides proved fatal to bats, with snowfall and crystal trapping bats wrong their caves. Cold snaps tin adjacent origin bats to frost to decease portion they’re hibernating successful their roosts, the parkland work said.