GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Do you know how many bugs a bat can eat in one night? Corky Quirk of NorCal Bats visited the Gridley Branch of the Butte County Library with her winged friends in tow and answered just that.

The educator brought six rescue bats, including a pair of Big Brown Bats, two Free-tailed Bats, and two Pallid Bats, all of which are native to our area. She explained that it was her job to help rehab injured bats and take in those that could not be released into the wild.

The tiny, furry creatures were displayed in special boxes at the front of the room, with Quirk handling them 6 feet away from the crowd to display their wingspan. She used a special projector in which the bat was held under, its detailed anatomy enlarged so that the whole room of those present could see the anatomical variations of the three different bat specimens. Visitors were not allowed to get close to or touch the animals.

Quirk demonstrated to the audience how each of the three bat adaptations aided their survival and affected their style of hunting. Sleek fur meant faster flying, longer fur helped the bat live in a more varied temperature environment, and a wider wing helped the bat turn corners better.

These flying mammals eat bugs and drink water, making a huge impact on farmers’ crops as they are a form of natural pest control. Quirk educated that bats eat approximately their weight in insects, and while doing so, they reduce the insect population and the need for pesticides.

Quirk informed that there are more than 1,400 species of bats world-wide, with 47 species found in the United States. California is home to 26 species with 17 varieties located in Northern California. Because of those high numbers, there is even an initiative in the California Legislation to designate a State Bat.

In addition to those educational facts, the group learned about myths surrounding bats, including the fact that bats are not blind but can see, and that they communicate both through audible chirps and inaudible echolocation.

Quirk used a specialized instrument to demonstrate the frequencies that humans can hear versus the frequency bats use for echolocation. Quirk had the crowd raise their hands when they could hear the frequencies stop after she began playing them aloud. By evidence of raised hands, it became clear that younger children could hear higher frequencies than the adults present in the room. It was an entertaining demonstration!

Everyone was batty about NorCal Bats by the end of the presentation. For more information on NorCal Bats, please visit www.NorCalBats.org.