Happy #Baturday!
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Another volume-up for squeaks 🥹.
She was hunting for finger nipples
#Baturday #BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry -
T tsrono@mastodon.social shared this topic
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All we know about Una’s origin story is that two very kind young dudes drove almost an hour to bring her to me on Monday after they found her while out on a walk.
She still had a fresh placenta and umbilical cord attached, and she was at least a little premature. Her mother was nowhere in sight and we know there wasn’t an active colony in the immediate vicinity. That makes it likely that the mother was snagged by a predator in the predawn hours and Una came out in the ensuing struggle.
Which is very sad!
But despite that, Una arrived at my house absolutely shouting at me to feed and take care of her. And so I do!
Neonates require round the clock care and have to be fed every couple of hours and stimulated to empty their bladder and bowels. They also need to be kept warm and engaged. These are social creatures and actively seek their mama.
Their nutritional needs mean a constant adjustments to the ingredients we compound to make their formula. Because they are so very tiny and have such a high metabolism it’s incredibly easy for them to crash if even on thing gets out of whack.
A challenge that Una had apparently decided I’m up for tackling.
Even though Una has decided that I’m her parent now, these bats don’t “imprint” on their caregivers, so if she makes it through she will be fully releasable by late summer.
Caveat: Don’t try this at home. I’m trained, licensed, and vaccinated!
@mycrowgirl how do you feed her? Like a really small syringe? Do you have to make the formula yourself? I’m really curious
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Happy #Baturday! I have an extra special introduction this week.
🥹 Please meet Una.
She is this season’s first orphaned bat, and she is the very first neonate I’ve rehabbed.
Una’s origin story is murky and sad but I will post that down thread behind a CW.
#BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry@mycrowgirl cute. Isn’t rabies a risk handling them with bare hands?
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Most of the news these days makes me ashamed to be associated with Homo sapiens, but stories like yours make me proud of our "better angels". Very proud of you!
It must be very, very difficult to rear a tiny orphaned bat. Good luck!
Please let us know how she does.
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Another volume-up for squeaks 🥹.
She was hunting for finger nipples
#Baturday #BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfryOh, so cute. So tiny but full of life, be well little one 🩶
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@mycrowgirl how do you feed her? Like a really small syringe? Do you have to make the formula yourself? I’m really curious
@steggy we mix the formula ourselves. There isn’t a commercially available formula that seems to work well for the kinds of microbats we have in this region.
And yes! Just a standard 1ml syringe with a silicone nipple instead of a needle.
She only drinks about 0.03 ml per feeding right now, and we have to be extremely careful not to overfill her stomach as that can quickly lead to complications.
[Edit to add picture!]
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@ale of many!
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OK, brace yourself.
I don’t know if you can handle the cute levels in this picture.
#Baturday #BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry@mycrowgirl
So will Una be a countess when she grows up? -
OK, brace yourself.
I don’t know if you can handle the cute levels in this picture.
#Baturday #BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry@mycrowgirl
bittens! -
@mycrowgirl cute. Isn’t rabies a risk handling them with bare hands?
@Glubhorn9 it is a risk for unvaccinated people to handle any wild mammal. But! They are NOT asymptomatic carriers, and the risk with bats who exhibit no symptoms is extremely low. I als personally vaccinate every bat that comes into my care. While that doesn’t eliminate risk it greatly reduces an already vanishingly small risk. The link below has a lot of really good information on the topic if you’re interested.
Caveat: I’m trained/licensed/vaccinated. Developmentally speaking, extremely young bats need direct contact with their caregiver.
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@mycrowgirl
So will Una be a countess when she grows up?@Guillotine_Jones Una abhors monarchy in all its forms, even the Faerie kind.
She’s punk AF.
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More Una for this #Baturday!
Volume up for shouty baby.
#BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry -
More Una for this #Baturday!
Volume up for shouty baby.
#BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry@mycrowgirl thanks for sharing! I'm boosting for Fedi friends and sharing the link with off-Fedi friends!
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All we know about Una’s origin story is that two very kind young dudes drove almost an hour to bring her to me on Monday after they found her while out on a walk.
She still had a fresh placenta and umbilical cord attached, and she was at least a little premature. Her mother was nowhere in sight and we know there wasn’t an active colony in the immediate vicinity. That makes it likely that the mother was snagged by a predator in the predawn hours and Una came out in the ensuing struggle.
Which is very sad!
But despite that, Una arrived at my house absolutely shouting at me to feed and take care of her. And so I do!
Neonates require round the clock care and have to be fed every couple of hours and stimulated to empty their bladder and bowels. They also need to be kept warm and engaged. These are social creatures and actively seek their mama.
Their nutritional needs mean a constant adjustments to the ingredients we compound to make their formula. Because they are so very tiny and have such a high metabolism it’s incredibly easy for them to crash if even on thing gets out of whack.
A challenge that Una had apparently decided I’m up for tackling.
Even though Una has decided that I’m her parent now, these bats don’t “imprint” on their caregivers, so if she makes it through she will be fully releasable by late summer.
Caveat: Don’t try this at home. I’m trained, licensed, and vaccinated!
@mycrowgirl I appreciate you doing this! The whole caving community has been knocked back on its heels a bit by white nose syndrome & trying to figure out how to help, and all the bats need all the help they can get.
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More Una for this #Baturday!
Volume up for shouty baby.
#BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry -
@steggy we mix the formula ourselves. There isn’t a commercially available formula that seems to work well for the kinds of microbats we have in this region.
And yes! Just a standard 1ml syringe with a silicone nipple instead of a needle.
She only drinks about 0.03 ml per feeding right now, and we have to be extremely careful not to overfill her stomach as that can quickly lead to complications.
[Edit to add picture!]
@mycrowgirl she is so little, thanks for answering my questions
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@mycrowgirl thanks for sharing! I'm boosting for Fedi friends and sharing the link with off-Fedi friends!
@dillyd
thank you 🥰 -
OK, brace yourself.
I don’t know if you can handle the cute levels in this picture.
#Baturday #BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry@mycrowgirl Listen to them…the children of the night.
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@mycrowgirl Listen to them…the children of the night.
@moelassus What music they make!
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More Una for this #Baturday!
Volume up for shouty baby.
#BatsInBlankets #BatsInMyBelfry@mycrowgirl
Just throw a content warning on that, it's pretty gross.
