Cute little guy

BuyLowSellHigh · July 23, 2010, 02:19:08 PM

If ever you are in Austin TX between March and October, make it a point to see the bats at Congress Avenue Bridge. It happens every evening and has (unfortunately) become a big tourist thing. It is claimed to be the largest bat colony in North America at 1.5 million bats.

http://austin.about.com/od/austinattractions/p/Bats_in_Austin.htm

http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp

Caneyscud · July 23, 2010, 03:23:10 PM

My wife would freak! She hates mice and she'd think it was a flying mouse! Have them flying outside almost every evening. Funny thing is that most years they fly around about the height of the top of the roof. Some years, they will fly lower, as low as head high. How do I know. One scared the bejibbers out of me earlier in the summer passing close to my head at ear level. After I cleaned my self up, I enjoyed watching them that fly that low.

Mailman · July 23, 2010, 06:18:00 PM

I dont like them. I know they have their place in the world. But not in my house! When they are outside they dont bother me none.

3rensho · July 23, 2010, 10:36:40 PM

QuoteWe consider them an asset as we are told they eat a lot of mosquetoes. You have studied bats so I ask you, is this true?

They very definitely are an asset. They consume untold millions of night flying critters including mosquitoes. This one probably came in thru an open window and couldn't find the opening again. We like fresh air when we sleep.

seemore · July 24, 2010, 07:35:27 PM

Mosquitos or bats? I would take the bats ANY day....they consume mosquitos, and I have NO USE for mosquitos whatsoever........
Mrs.
Cute lil' bugger, he was........
It's funny, but bats and snakes don't bother me. Had that been a common little house spider in the sink, I would have screamed bloody murder................. :-[

Quarlow · July 24, 2010, 08:41:02 PM

To see the lizard dance you have to watch the movie "Matilda" with Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman. When the old Trudge starts to do the lizard dance my kids would laugh there asses off.
Bats will eat more than there own weight in mosquito's a night. And yes they can carry Rabies but then again so can a lot of critters but that doesn't mean everyone has it. Still you should use the utmost caution for you and for the critter. I would use a glove and carefully handle anything so as not to harm it. But if it display seemingly over aggressive behaviour like it would stop at nothing to bite you then it might be worth calling the SPCA instead of just releasing it. Normally small animals once you pick them up will calm down and slightly relax when the relise you aren't going to hurt them, although mice and rats will try just about anything to get away. Having said that I have caught a lot of mice and rats with bare hands by the tail and released them outside after the cat has brought them in the house. Ahh live with cats, I have been woken may times in the middle of the night to chase critters around the house. I have gotten pretty good at it too. But I have never gotten one I thought might be rabid. Put them in a container and look at them without them escaping, if they look healthy they likely are. If they look mangey or skinny and beat up (aside from any damage the cat may have inflicted) then it might be better dispatch it quickly and humanely. Of course you may want to anyways so as to not add to a possible infestation. That is your call. Of course that is more for mice or rats, other animals that are not a nuisance should be set free carefully. Christ I sound like the spokes person for P.E.T.A. or something. :D :D :D

3rensho · July 24, 2010, 10:21:01 PM

Quoteother animals that are not a nuisance should be set free carefully

So true. The wife and I are members of the hedge hog rescue group of the local humane organization. We have several that live in our garden and the neighboring forest. In the late fall we collect the smaller ones and weigh them. If they're under 500g we take them to a hedge hog center where they are cleaned up, fed and then hibernate. In the spring we pick them up and set them out in the garden again.

car54 · July 25, 2010, 03:58:07 AM

That is one neat story. I have heard of bats in the belfry but not bats in the sink. I wonder if it is sick.

Brad

3rensho · July 25, 2010, 04:33:05 AM

Well, after it woke up it looked perfectly fine. When it took off and flew away I could see it for about 40 meters and it looked like a normal bat winging westward. This is the third time we've had one in the house. They usually hang on the wall and I can get them out before the kitties wake up to their presence.

squirtthecat · July 25, 2010, 07:09:05 AM

Maybe he found some of your stash of hooch.. ;D

Quote from: 3rensho on February 04, 2010, 10:48:52 PM
It's been a few decades but we used 95% ethanol and juniper berries, lemon peel, cardamom, a tiny bit of cinnamon stick and probably other things I've forgotten. Reflux for one hour, distill off the 95% azeotrope and dilute to desired drinking strength with water.

3rensho · July 25, 2010, 07:25:33 AM

That is possible. I've got a couple of liters of locally made firewater - for medicinal purposes of course ;D ;D

BuyLowSellHigh · July 25, 2010, 11:50:33 AM

Made a lot of inebriating stuff with absolute punctilious EtOH when I was in grad school, but never tried the gin (Jenever) thing. But now that I think about it, seems like a great application for Soxhlet extraction!

What part of Switzerland ?

3rensho · July 26, 2010, 04:58:47 AM

Wow, another chemist? Live outside of Basel. We had a big, dedicated Soxhlet set up too in it's own little fume hood.

3rensho · July 26, 2010, 05:02:24 AM

My local firewater is made by a farmer in the village. He's retired now but retains his rights as a farmer. One of which is he can make two liters of Kirschwasser for each cow he used to own because under Swiss law Kirschwasser is considered a veterinary medicine ;D ;D ;D My kind of country.

Cute little guy

squirtthecat