Do bats avoid light?

The woodland bats are known to avoid lights, and they can go hungry or get picked off by hawks or falcons as the result of too many streetlights in their area.

Scientists have warned that if woodlands bats are to survive, then it is important to turn off the streetlights. This is because these bats will avoid the lights when they forage during the night. It may mean finding too little food and getting exposed to predators.

When the bats are out during the daytime, then they are easy to be picked off by predators. In such situations, the bats cannot identify the predators easily. This is why they have an aversion for the light and they avoid it whenever it is possible. They will come out when they are starving, but they choose to be nocturnal to avoid their predators. When there is light in the way, then the bats will have to find a new way. This could mean fewer shelters, and it exposes the bats to greater risks of being attacked by hawks and falcons.

However, there are some types of bats which are attracted to the light, especially mercury vapor lamps which emit ultraviolet light that attracts the insects that the bats will feed at. However, these are flying bats that can fly out in an open area. The bats which feed within the woodlands may seem to be averse to the light, and they are the species which normally fly low and are vulnerable to the predators. It is advised to know the type of lighting that the bat species may tolerate, and it has to be mitigated in the appropriate manner. This may involve taking the direct light away and the shielding the lights that are found on roads.

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