Bats....

[Ninja Kitten]

Can anyone tell me if its ok to photograph bats? ok so maybe a stupid question..but i just wondered

[wormster]

Its generally considerd by the caving community bad form to photograph bats when they are hibernating, as the heat from your light source can disturb their hibernation pattern.

[styru]

sorry - only remembered I'd not replied to your pm when I saw this thread.

it is illegal to disturb bats, and the bat conservation lot will tell you that you are disturbing them.

They may be right - and those that go underground do avoid disturbing them (including pictures)

That being said bats are well documented in most of the underground Wiltshire quarries whilst the sites were in use.

it must some sort of de-evolution to think that their ancestors could cope with noise, dust, smoke, blasting etc. but that the modern day ones can't cope with the occasional explorer with a head torch.

[spungletrumpet]

That being said bats are well documented in most of the underground Wiltshire quarries whilst the sites were in use.

it must some sort of de-evolution to think that their ancestors could cope with noise, dust, smoke, blasting etc. but that the modern day ones can't cope with the occasional explorer with a head torch.

Wise words Styru..

I bumped into a survey team in Box once. The whole place stank of the spray paint they were liberally spraying around the walls to make survey marks. When I suggested that the 'bat brigade' might not be too happy about all the spraying I was informed that one of the team was a licenced bat handler and that spray paint was fine to use near roosting animals..
I imagine she would have had a very different opinion if it was me vandalising the place with paint though. :rolleyes:

[Speed]

spray paint was fine to use near roosting animals..

Is that on the COSH data sheet? :crazy

[spungletrumpet]

Is that on the COSH data sheet? :crazy

Not on any I've been able to find.. It all adds to the mystery and magic surrounding 'licensed bat handlers'..

[TheFarmer]

Grrrr bats - (or rather Grrrr associated bat handlers and hangers on)
To satisfy planning, had to get an ecologist/bat handler to do a report on our crappy 50s pebbledashed bungalow before we could demolish it. Surprise surprise they (said they'd) found one bat (we'd never seen any in all the times we'd been in the loft). Que a whole load of hoops to jump through: months of hold ups and thousands of more pounds heading to the ecologist to compile report, fill in application forms to Natural England (3 forms) to disturb a protected species, comment on design of new house(which had to incorporate a large "bat loft", pay for bat nest boxes and for her to be on site to "supervise" demolition.

Not that I'm against bats- I quite like them but it just seemed like a bit of a racket that we had to pay through the nose for to essentially do pretty much exactly the same as we would have done anyway, without the expense.

[stellaluna]

d'oh

[Dark Prince]

We made some bat boxes with the scouts once. No bats took up the offer of a nice new home but we did end up with a dormouse in one. Should have heard the noises made when it was discovered that i had took the kid off the box to check for inhabitants....apparently you need to be a licenced dormouse handler...i kid you not!!.

Always amazes me how if a explorer takes pic of bats all helll breaks loose, yet a licensed bat handler can pick one of the little critters up to check its weight when its hibenating.

DP

[paulpowers]

We made some bat boxes with the scouts once. No bats took up the offer of a nice new home but we did end up with a dormouse in one. Should have heard the noises made when it was discovered that i had took the kid off the box to check for inhabitants....apparently you need to be a licenced dormouse handler...i kid you not!!.

Always amazes me how if a explorer takes pic of bats all helll breaks loose, yet a licensed bat handler can pick one of the little critters up to check its weight when its hibenating.

DP

Can a door mouse handler check the bats as they are just mice with wings?

[stellaluna]

d'oh

[paulpowers]

what about the flying squirrel? and mice are mammals

[diehardlove]

Ive personally always followed the same rule if i see them il never go near them touch them shine a light on them or take pictures of them thats what i was always taught and its always served me well.

[zimbob]

I think it's generally accepted that flash photography when they're hibernating is a bad thing...

I had to pick up a bat t'other day at work, take it to the vet's and so on, and the Bat Helpline folk were pretty blase about my handling it etcetera, they were more concerned to make sure I wore gloves in case it bit me, and gave me something nasty :)

[Ninja Kitten]

well...im still no closer to knowing weather its ok to photograph them or not really, but interesting to get peoples different views on..put it this way..if one ever gets stuck in my hair, the bat protection society will be the last thing on my mind....:eek:

[diehardlove]

well...im still no closer to knowing weather its ok to photograph them or not really, but interesting to get peoples different views on..put it this way..if one ever gets stuck in my hair, the bat protection society will be the last thing on my mind....:eek:

No officially it can wake them up from hibernation and is against the law as its classed as interfering with them :D :tumbleweed

[spungletrumpet]

well...im still no closer to knowing weather its ok to photograph them or not really, but interesting to get peoples different views on..put it this way..if one ever gets stuck in my hair, the bat protection society will be the last thing on my mind....:eek:


Photographing them isn't *technically* illegal, but disturbing them is.
Don't use flash and don't post your piccies in public and you won't go far wrong. :thumb

[Ninja Kitten]

No officially it can wake them up from hibernation and is against the law as its classed as interfering with them :D :tumbleweed

but they dont spend all their lives hibernating do they?

[Ninja Kitten]

Photographing them isn't *technically* illegal, but disturbing them is.
Don't use flash and don't post your piccies in public and you won't go far wrong. :thumb

thankyou:thumb

[diehardlove]

Photographing them isn't *technically* illegal, but disturbing them is.
Don't use flash and don't post your piccies in public and you won't go far wrong. :thumb


Exactly you can look at them but the sec you interfere with them be it flash fireworks torches etc your fucked,
I think the old rule applies if you don't wanna get in shit keep the fucker to yourself :D

[diehardlove]

but they dont spend all their lives hibernating do they?
The point im making is it makes no difference if they are hibernating or not its the interfering that matters and thats a hard thing to prove !!

[paulpowers]

Exactly you can look at them but the sec you interfere with them be it flash fireworks torches etc your fucked,
I think the old rule applies if you don't wanna get in shit keep the fucker to yourself :D

hahahaha Only DHL would bring fireworks into this conversation

[Ninja Kitten]

The point im making is it makes no difference if they are hibernating or not its the interfering that matters and thats a hard thing to prove !!

yeah i got it.. still wang it agross the room if it gets stuck in my hair though!:)

but on a serious level as well, i think i got the jist of the bat rules now!:thumb

[stellaluna]

what about the flying squirrel? and mice are mammals

sorry, i'm a bit thick

[One Flew East]

yeah i got it.. still wang it agross the room if it gets stuck in my hair though!:)



herherher

[Treadstone]

Someone I know got done for disturbing bats which sounds ammusing until the criminal record caused some fall out.

Like other things that happen when exploring, don't do anything which can be interpreted as criminal ... btw if you fancy getting you bat licence, see http://www.battraining.co.uk/