Debunking the Amazing Bat at South Florida Museum

BRADENTON -- All that goes bump in the night is most likely a bat chasing a bug, using its incredible sonar vision and communicating with each other in various pitches and sounds – just like people. If you are one of those folks, who thinks that bats can’t see or that they spend their nights in blood-quenching dramas, you just may want to head over to see the lifelike models and interactives at a new exhibit in the East Gallery, Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats.

South Florida Museum's public program coordinator, Amara Cocilovo, said that the exhibit explains that bats are actually gentle, beneficial animals. Not to mention, their vast ecological role in Florida and in our world. 

The museum's public program coordinator, Amara Cocilovo, experiments in bat hearing at the exhibit.

The exhibit opened on Friday night, and it will run through September 12.

On Friday, when doors opened to the museum to help people understand the amazing bat, people of all ages tried out the hands-on exhibit stations and read with eagerness all the facts about bats.

Cocilovo said the event opening was a great opportunity for families to come out to the museum for activities and educational fun and that was exactly what happened.

”The exhibit opening was a great success,“ she said. ”We had about 175 people. Everyone really enjoyed the exhibit and kids had lots of fun with the batty crafts.“

It’s no wonder people enjoyed their evening out at the museum. The exhibit was very well-done and from the moment visitors stepped into the East Gallery, they met eye-to-ear all things about bats and explored a tour that debunked myths formed over centuries of mystical bat stories.

”This event demystified some of the negativity around bats,“ she added. ”Bats are extremely important to our ecosystem and they help pollinate our fruit plants, and help to control our insects.“

Cocilovo had hoped that a lot of families would walk away with one important message that they did not know about bats, and some people at the exhibit were even inspired to go home and build a bat house.

Through sonar echoes, Elli Dralus, 6, and Tonya McCranie learn about how a bat uses echoes to fly in the pitch dark.

"Bats are so good; they eat a ton of insects and pollinate a bunch of plants and distribute seeds,“ she said. ”It’s becoming a common trend, not just here but nationwide, to build a bat house in your backyard.“

Strange as that may seem, it’s true, people are really batty over bats, and they want them to hang around to help out around the yard.

Tonya McCranie and her nephew, Elli Dralus, 6, were out at the event soaking in some education about bats. McCranie said it was their date night, and confirmed that were indeed bat fanatics.

”We both love bats,“ McCranie said, as Elli peaked his head over a vampire bat head. ”We are building a bat house tomorrow. In fact, we are building four bat houses and here tonight to learn more.“

We’re not going to ruin the surprise about the exhibit, but here are a few teasers about some bat myths debunked at South Florida Museum.  

Many people think that bats are blind.

It’s a myth born out of the ”swoopy“ way they fly at night. In fact, the exhibit states clearly that bats have perfectly good eyesight. They don’t see in color, but they see better than we see at night through sonar vision.

If this scene of bats hanging out in a crack in your house looks familiar, try building a bat house and then close up that crack.

Some people are truly caught up in the idea of bats as vampires.

People have even grown to fear these incredible creatures, which is such a waste of energy. In fact, vampire bats only live in Latin America, where most people would never-ever see one. The exhibit states that scientists who study millions of bats in those remote areas, have never been attacked.

Read on for two more myths debunked.

Bats get tangled in your hair. Not a chance the exhibit clearly states. In fact, bats are so acutely aware of what’s in front of them, they can distinguish insect types and wouldn’t dare fly into a head of hair.

Bats are flying mice. Don’t be silly believing this myth. People have thought for years that they were related to birds and mice, but they are mammals and the only mammal that can fly.

Don’t miss this high-flying exhibit about the true masters of the night; bats deserve our understanding and support to prevent them from becoming extinct.

”They are very important for our ecosystem,“ Cocilovo added. ”They are also very cute.“