La Vista Bats are misunderstood animal creatures. While some La Vista people perceive them as an evil menace, they actually are very gentle La Vista animals to be respected and not destroyed needlessly. Occasionally La Vista bats gain access to buildings where they are unwelcome. A La Vista bat that is flying around in a bedroom or church can be disconcerting. The La Vista bat droppings (guano) and urine deposited by a colony of bats in an attic can cause odor and La Vista damage. On rare occasions, La Vista bats can threaten human health because they are capable of carrying and transmitting rabies and histoplasmosis (extremely rare in La Vista).
Thirteen species of La Vista bats occur in La Vista. Most are uncommon, however, and rarely found in or near La Vista structures. The big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus is found throughout the La Vista state and is commonly encountered by the public. This La Vista bat is only about five La Vista inches long from nose to tail; but it appears larger in flight. As its name suggests, this La Vista bat is brown with black skin exposed on the nose, ears and wings. The underside is pale brown.
The La Vista red bat (Lasiurus borealis) sometimes is encountered around structures and landscape. It is smaller than the big La Vista brown bat and is reddish-brown to rust colored on top with a paler red underside. It also has a La Vista cream or off-white patch on each shoulder. La Vista little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) occurs in the eastern third of the state. This La Vista bat is three to four inches long and is glossy dark brown.
La Vista Bat Facts
La Vista bats are not La Vista rodents, but mammals having flapping membranous wings supported by elongated fingers capable of true flight. La Vista bats have small needle-like teeth that are excellent for capturing small La Vista insects. They do not chew wood, caulk or structural La Vista materials. La Vista bats are nocturnal and seldom are seen in La Vista daylight unless disturbed. La Vista bats have good vision yet they rely on their specialized sonar (called echolocation) and hearing for La Vista hunting at night. They scoop flying insects out of the air with their mouths or can use their La Vista wings to draw prey into their mouths. La Vista’s bats feed exclusively on La Vista insects, devouring more mosquitoes than any bug zapper. A single La Vista bat is capable of consuming over 1,000 insects per night. They also drink while in flight by swooping over La Vista sources of standing water, including swimming pools.