Welcome back to yet another Halloween post! And this time it isn’t a top list at all! Today I want to bring up the topic of a particular Halloween icon that I think is prepped for a reasonable question: are bats really that scary? While they ain’t on the same turf as something like a spider or a ghost, they certainly agro or frighten a good many people. So today I will be looking at this question and explaining my reasoning as to why or why not they are scary.So what is my answer, personally, for this question? Well let me start off by saying that bats are a perfect image for horror, they should be appraised in the same light as spiders, snakes, and even black cats. They are also fun decorations to hang up during the holiday. But I digress, so my opinion is this:

THEY ARE NOT SCARY, BUT CAN BE CREEPY.

To me, they will be nothing more than tiny flying foxes. This isn’t a bad thing though, foxes are amazing creatures and seeing these as the aerial cousins makes them even better in a way. There are times when I even find them adorable, especially the fruit bat. But why do I also think they are creepy? Well as the case may be known to many, there are species of bats, such as the vampire bat (an inspiration for vampiric legends like Dracula), that live off of sucking blood from mammals. There is also species, like the vampire bat, that can actually have some pretty creepy faces, this is mainly due to their oddly shaped flat noses, some which are used as thermoreceptors. And yet, they do actually make a noise which, in person, can really startle you good. But I still can’t say that all bats are creepy though, just look how adorable fruit bats are!

BATS CAN AFFECT AMBIENCE.

There is a reason why the image of a haunted house, at night, with bats flying about is such a perfect one. While I don’t think bats are scary, they do affect ambience to a superb level. Bats are known to mainly go out at night to find their food source. This would indicate that they are essentially the night birds of our world and possibly the acute representation of the night, the only other animal that can rival this is the raven or crow. But even ravens and crows are night exclusive to the dusk or later hours. Therefore it is almost essential to include them for greater ambience. The bizarre anatomy may also add to that atmosphere a little, they are the size of a rodent, look like foxes but can fly. Not to mention they can also spread diseases, which can culminate to another fact:

DISEASES ARE SCARY TO SOME.

There are many diseases spread by bats. In fact, these commonly known one called Rabies is the most associated one to bats. There is also Histoplasmosis, which is a nasty little thing that affects mainly your lungs but also has the potential to threaten other organs of the body. And these are just the commonly known diseases in general, many different species of bats around the world carry their own extremes which greatily affect whatever territory they derive from. These diseases come from what the animal eats or gets into. A bat can eat fungal matter which can cause fungal-based conditions to another host (this is basically how Histoplamosis is born too). There are also disease from just there droppings, known as guano.

So what though? There are many wild animals out there that can cause just diseases, I doubt that a bat is more congested with harmful viruses than that of a sewer rat. But can they be more than just wild? Can they be essentially pets?

DON’T KEEP THEM AS PETS.

While there are places in the world where a bat can be raised in captivity, the act of keeping a bat as a regular pet may not be the best idea. For one, they are social creatures in need of interaction with others of their species. Without this they will feel extreme loneliness and boredom. They will also unlikely get the amount of appropriate nutrition they need, assuming they even get it at all. Let us not also forget that they are nocturnal creatures, meaning they will be sleeping for most of the day and causing a ruckus during the night.

Now that I’ve successfully gotten off track, let’s go back to the main topic at hand. So I’ve already declared my opinion that bats are not scary, maybe a little creepy at times but certainly not scary. However I do not answer for everyone, I have brought up how such things as diseases, the anatomy, and the ambience presented by bats can cause alarm to certain individuals. But do I think they are in the right?

I CAN SEE WHY PEOPLE ARE SCARED.

Now most of the points I’ve brought up regarding why they are sometimes creepy, may in fact be the very reasons why people think they are scary too. Which I can see why people are scared of such attributes of bats. Honestly they are, and will remain, one of the weirdest animals on earth (yep, they’re up there with the spider and octopus). But again this fear that they inflict on people also adds to the factor of why I love these things in the first place. They are unique, they are weird, they affect mood and they inspired one of the coolest monster types and one of the most iconic superheroes ever. So yeah, bats are a win even when you think they are a fail, because they are successfully doing what they do best!

So yeah I don’t think I even really gave a definitive answer overall, mainly just my own. Oh well, it was fun to write either way. Come back to the site tomorrow for another Halloween related GBHorror2017 post around 1 pm. Until tomorrow my friends…