It’s time to look back on 2024! Check our blog between Christmas and New Year’s for a variety of stories and memories of 2024 from the staff and volunteers of the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
One of my highlights of 2024 has been learning about the care and handling of our native wildlife, particularly Virginia's bats. So, when I received an email about a bat-handling class taught by bat expert Leslie Sturges, I couldn’t contain my excitement!
On December 4, Leslie arrived at the Center with a handful of her current bat patients, including Eastern Red Bats, Big Brown Bats, and an Evening Bat. She demonstrated the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) we should use when handling these delicate patients, and then, one by one, we had the chance to locate a bat in its enclosure, safely remove it, and perform a basic physical exam. During each exam, we gently unfurled the bat's wings to inspect them, checked its teeth and eyes, and, if the patient tolerated it, we tried to determine its sex.
We began with a Big Brown Bat. These bats prefer sleeping in tight, enclosed spaces, so it was important to keep a firm hold on them during the exam to reduce stress and make them feel secure. One of the Big Browns had a hematoma on its wing, which was fascinating to observe through the thin membrane.
The Eastern Red Bats were a study in contrast. The female was much calmer during handling, which made the experience enjoyable. She even drank water from a dropper, which was absolutely adorable! On the other hand, the male Eastern Red Bat immediately protested when removed from his enclosure. Leslie had brought along a “bat detector” that could pick up and amplify the sounds of distress, and we quickly realized that the bat was too stressed to handle. We promptly returned him to his enclosure, as minimizing stress is critical for animals in care.
The Evening Bat was the calmest of the bunch. I found it especially fascinating to learn that there’s still much we don’t know about its winter behavior. While Eastern Red and Silver-Haired Bats hibernate in clumps of leaves, and Big Browns typically choose caves, trees, or man-made structures, the winter habits of Evening Bats remain a mystery.
This class definitely boosted my confidence in bat identification. The very next day at work, we received a bat patient. After moving it from the box it arrived in to a secure container, Jonah (my fellow front desk coordinator who also attended the class) and I realized it wasn’t one of the species we’d seen in class. However, by noting the bat’s fur and where it had been found, we were able to correctly identify it as a Silver-Haired Bat—a species neither of us had seen in person before!
This class was also a chance to get to know Leslie better. We work with her frequently, but spending time with Leslie outside of quick greetings was truly enjoyable. Her passion for these small, often overlooked creatures is inspiring, and it was a privilege to learn from her firsthand.
— Sarah Driscoll, Front Desk Coordinator