“Cold stunned” evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
evening bat
Credit: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”

Amid the drastic temperature drop throughout most of Florida, many of the state’s wildlife are forced to adapt, causing some to enter a stasis similar to hibernation to conserve energy.

The evening bat, designated 25-101, entered CROW with no visible injuries after it was discovered on a sidewalk in Bonita Springs.

The finders brought the bat back to Fort Myers and left her on a tree overnight, hoping the bat could recover independently.

Evening bats are highly social creatures that migrate south with their colony during the fall.

They must be released within 5 miles of where they were found—otherwise, they will expend all their energy trying to get home.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission categorizes the evening bat as insectivorous, meaning it eats insects.

The bat is responsible for hunting beetles and moths, which is incredibly helpful for the Florida agriculture industry as the former can cause widespread damage to cucumber, squash, and corn crops.

Credit: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

According to CROW, bats will enter torpor before returning safely to their roosts, leaving them “cold-stunned” and vulnerable.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency on Tuesday in the northern portion of the state ahead of the possible damaging effects caused by winter conditions.

The evening bat is not the only animal affected by the colder temperatures. Green iguanas can enter a “frozen” state, causing them to fall from trees.

Once an iguana “freezes,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends humanely killing the animal as they will suffer from brain damage when they freeze up.

CROW posted a video of the bat recovering well within its facility on their Facebook account.

Fortunately, the bat is recovering well, gaining weight, and staying warm. CROW volunteers hope that after the weather warms up, the evening bat may safely return home.

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