Hunting the Bat Killer

Background Builder

You’re about to read “Hunting the Bat Killer.”

Here are a few things you need to know before you read. The words in bold are words that are important to know.

This story is about bats.

Bats are mammals, just like humans.
Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have hair or fur covering most of their skin.
Bats are the only mammals that can fly.

What else do you need to know about bats?

Most bats are nocturnal—that means they are active at night and sleep during the day.
Many bats spend the winter hibernating, or sleeping.

Why do bats hibernate?

Bats hibernate during the winter because food is hard to find.
Before they hibernate, bats eat a lot of food. This helps them store up fat in their bodies.
While hibernating, bats go into something called torpor.

What is torpor?

Torpor is a way for bats’ bodies to save energy.
During torpor, a bat’s heart rate slows down, its body temperature drops, and it doesn’t move much.
Every few weeks, bats come out of torpor to drink water. Then they go back to sleep.

Many people are scared of bats. Why?

Bats come out at night. People have always feared the dark and the creatures that live in it.
Stories called myths and folktales have been passed down for many years. In them, bats are often shown as evil demons that bring bad luck.
Dracula is a famous made-up vampire from a book by Bram Stoker. In the book, Dracula turns into a bat at night and sucks the blood of humans.

Do bats really drink blood?

Some bats, called vampire bats, do drink blood.
But vampire bats do not live in the U.S. And they feed on pigs, horses, and birds—not humans!

Why are bats important?

Bats are important because they eat a lot of insects.
They eat mosquitoes, which spread diseases. They eat moths and flies, which eat plants we rely on for food.

This story is about the “bat killer.” What’s that?

The bat killer is a disease called white-nose syndrome (WNS).
It’s named after the fuzzy white spots that appear on the infected bats’ noses.
WNS has killed at least 6 million bats.
It is caused by a fungus. This fungus can be found in caves where bats hibernate.

What is a fungus?

A fungus is a living thing, but it’s not a plant or an animal.
It survives by eating dead or decaying things. A decaying thing is something that’s rotting.
Yeast, mold, and mushrooms are all examples of fungi.

How does WNS hurt bats?

WNS infects bats while they’re hibernating.
WNS makes bats dehydrated, or in need of water. This causes them to wake up.
The more the bats wake up, the more food they need.
Some bats starve to death. Others leave their cave to look for food and freeze.

How are people helping bats with WNS?

Scientists are spreading the word about WNS. They also educate people about how bats are not dangerous.
Some people are taking care of sick bats.
Read the story to meet “The Bat Woman,” a woman who is helping bats with WNS.