Diana Sebastian, Ironia Elementary School
Morris County
Indiana Bat. Morris County Diana Sebastian
Indiana Bat
I’m an Indiana Bat, biologists call me Myotis sodalis. I know humans think we’re evil. Maybe it’s all of that vampire stuff, or expressions like “bats in the belfry” or “like a bat out of Hades”. I promise my kind doesn’t drink blood nor are we crazy. We are really very useful. I hope you will get to know us because we need your help to survive.
Look at me in that picture. I look cute, right? That’s right George Clooney -I’m the real Batman! I’m super small even for bats. I weight no more than three pennies and I’m three inches long until I stretch out. Then my wings are about 10 inches. I eat all kinds of insects and that’s why you should love me. I devour mosquitoes, gypsy moths and lots of other pests humans try to get rid of using pesticides. If you had more bats you would need fewer pesticides.
During the summer, I sleep under the peeling bark of trees unless you’ve built me a bat house. The second half of my Latin name (Sodalis) means companion. That’s because we hibernate in huge groups during the winter in caves and abandoned iron mines. Morris County has lots of abandoned iron mines so life should be great. But it isn’t. There’s a nasty disease called White-Nose Syndrome that’s killing my friends. It’s a fungus found in our caves. It spreads easily because we are packed in together.
There isn’t a cure yet, but scientists are working on it. Please support them if you can. Meanwhile, try not to make our life more difficult. Don’t close up our caves, lighten up on the pesticides and try to preserve some forest for us. I guess my time “at bat” is over! Thanks for listening.
Written by: Diana Sebastian
Ironia Elementary School, Randolph
Teacher: Ms. Christine Brembs