Bats are most scared of things that threaten their safety, disturb their roosts, and expose them to predators, though as nocturnal animals they have relatively few natural enemies. Their biggest fears include natural predators like owls, especially barn owls and great horned owls that hunt at night and can catch bats in flight, hawks and falcons that catch bats at dusk when they emerge, snakes that can enter caves and attics to eat roosting bats, raccoons, cats, and other climbing mammals that can reach roost sites, and in some regions larger carnivorous bats that prey on smaller bats. Bats are very scared of being disturbed in their roosts during the day when they are sleeping, during hibernation, and during maternity season when they have pups, because disturbance causes them to waste energy, drop pups, and abandon roosts. They are scared of bright lights at night that expose them to predators and disrupt hunting, and loud sudden noises near roosts. They are terrified of being grounded and unable to fly, as bats need to drop from height to take flight and cannot take off easily from flat surfaces, so being on the ground makes them extremely vulnerable. They are also afraid of strong winds and rain that make flying difficult. Loss of roost sites due to human exclusion without alternative roosts is also a major fear because without safe roosts they cannot survive.
1 votes
Marked as accepted