This episode is all about bats! These inherently spooky creatures have a bad reputation that dates back centuries and continues today because of the disease risk they pose to humans, but how much flak do these fuzzy flyers actually deserve? Also, did you know bats have belly buttons!? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more.
As mentioned in the episode, you can learn more about bat exposures and what to do if you think you’ve been exposed here: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/risk/humanbat.html
WE WROTE A BOOK! And you can preorder it here: https://geni.us/spookyscience
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Here are our sources:
- https://blogs.missouristate.edu/cnas-newswatch/2010/10/27/bats-are-anything-but-scary-for-biology-professor
- https://www.curiousordinary.com/2018/05/folklore-of-bats.html
- https://news.wisc.edu/study-bolsters-bats-reputation-as-mosquito-devourers/
- https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/impact/fighting-the-worlds-deadliest-animal.html
- https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-mosquitoes-deadliest-animals-2017-4
- https://batworld.org/rabies-info/
- https://www.fws.gov/story/bats-are-one-most-important-misunderstood-animals
- https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/bat_crisis_white-nose_syndrome/Q_and_A.html
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/risk/humanbat.html
- https://www.discovery.com/nature/bat-bite-sleep-never-know
- https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/a-creative-approach-to-controlling-a-deadly-snail/
- https://discover.hubpages.com/education/The-Folklore-of-Bats
- https://blog.nwf.org/2022/10/why-are-bats-owls-toads-and-crows-associated-with-halloween/
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressrel/2024/rabies092724.html