Scott Hayes | [email protected]
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Haven't you always wanted to know more about creatures that lurk or flitter or waddle in the night?
If so, the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum has a treat for you with its most recent exhibit.
Creatures of the Night is about more than bats, said Roberta Kehler, general manager at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum. It compiles information on a menagerie of creatures, although bats clearly are Kehler's focus.
"First off, I love bats. I wanted to dispel a couple of myths, of which there are several. Because of their dreadful reputation, they're one of the most understudied animals on the planet, but they make up 40 per cent of all mammal species."
There are approximately 1,500 different species of the flying mammals, and eight of those species are residents of Jasper National Park.
It is true that they are the only mammals that can fly. Flying squirrels (also featured in the exhibited) don't really fly鈥攖hey glide. While bats do have excellent echolocation abilities, they aren't blind.
"This thing can sort out a mosquito's personality to five decimal points going at 60 kilometers an hour. It's not gonna bump into you. He knows where you are," Kehler said. "These guys are our friends."
Popular culture might have done them an injustice with the prevalence of vampire bats in literature and film. Not to worry, however. There are three species of vampire bat, and they are all about the size of a bag of M&Ms, Kehler said, adding that they are all in South America.
They aren't rodents either despite their French name chauve-souris, which translates as 鈥渂ald mouse.鈥�
"No, they are not disease-carrying rodents. They're actually closer to primates than they are to rodents. They're not even in the rodent family," Kehler said, adding a huge positive about our flying friends. "If we didn't have them, you'd be dead by mosquitoes."
The whole idea behind this exhibit is to demystify bats and other creatures of the night, mosquitoes and rodents (like voles and mice) included. There is display information about toads and salamanders, bobcats, lynx and cougars, beavers, otters, minks and weasels, porcupines, foxes, wolves and owls.
Beyond that, the exhibit includes informational handouts on how to build a bat house and how to improve your night sky photography.
Creatures of the Night has been extended until Nov. 11.
