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Brentwood Press - BrentwoodPress_05.02.08 - Index

MAY 2, 2008 COMMUNITY THEPRESS.NET | 3A
Students go batty for Science Week
by Ruth Roberts
Staff Writer
The subject was bats. As in blind,
in the belfry and, of course, the Caped
Crusader. But what the mostly-under-10
crowd that gathered for Oakley’s Science
Week presentation quickly discovered is
that nature’s most misunderstood and often
maligned fl ying mammal is anything
but – well, batty.
What they are instead is totally cool.
“Did you know that bats eat up to
1,000 mosquitos an hour?” asked East
Bay naturalist Mike Moran. “And that
there are over a 1,000 different species
worldwide (24 in California) and that
they are the only fl ying mammals in the
world?”
And that they are also an important
component in the fertilization of the guava
plant, an integral ingredient in tequila?
The event, held at Delta Vista Middle
School on Tuesday, was a rapid-fi re look
at the myths, misconceptions and amazing
factoids regarding the mysterious bat.
And although there were no live bats in attendance,
Moran still managed to capture
and hold his young audience’s interest.
Maddie Labute, 8, was particularly
impressed with the maternal side of bats.
“I didn’t know that boy bats have to
leave home before the girls,” said Maddie.
“I think that’s sad.”
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Photos by Ruth Roberts
Above left, East Bay naturalist Mike Moran spoke to a captivated group of youngsters about the mysterious bat.
The program was part of Oakley’s annual Science Week event. Above right, Merrick Weiner, left, and Ryan Waller
model the bat-boy masks they made during the recent bat event at Delta Vista Middle School.
Ryan Waller, 6, tried on a plasticcrafted
set of bat wings, and declared
them to be “cool,” adding that “I think I
saw one of these once, but it was dark.”
No word on whether he was referring to
the plastic wings or the bat.
These 52-million-year-old winged
wizards of the sky are aeronautical marvels.
With their long, fl exible and lightweight
wings, they’re built for speed and
maneuverability. The wing of the bat is
made of bones like the bones in our arm
and hand. The name of this animal order
is “chiroptera” – “handwing.”
The membrane, which covers the arm
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bones and fi nger bones of the bat, extends
to the sides of the body and leg, creating
an airfoil surface. In some bats, the membrane
is between their legs, including the
tail. Their small thumbs, however, are
membrane-free to allow for easier climbing.
So nimble are bats that they can even
catch food with their tails and toss it up
into their mouths while in fl ight.
“Can you imagine being able to do
that?” asked Moran. “Bats can also do a
fl ip turn – like in a swimming pool – while
fl ying, and grab onto a rock or something
with their feet. They are totally awesome
creatures.”
And clean. Contrary to popular belief,
said Moran, bats are not rabies carriers,
do not entangle themselves in people’s
hair, and do not suck the blood out of
unsuspecting humans. Yes, there are such
things as vampire bats, but their victims
are primarily of the four-legged variety.
“Why should we care about bats?”
asked Moran. “Because they are cool unto
themselves. They are a good signal that we
live in a healthy environment. They’re not
scary and they are very productive. Did I
also mention that they are cool?”
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