Chapter Four

TRANSPORTING
Bats are transported for a variety of reasons. For example, educators transport bats to show when giving wildlife programs. Rehabilitators, who are handraising infant bats, may have to transport them between home and a job, and sometimes bats must be shipped from one facility to another. There is no single best method for transporting all bats, but they should be moved in such a way that stress and injury are minimized. This is achieved by knowing the behavior of the species being shipped, by taking the time to construct appropriate transport containers, and by adhering to a few basic "transport rules" as follows:

  Transport at the appropriate time of year for the species. Although the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requires shipment at temperatures between 45 F (7.2 C) and 85 F (29.5 C), bats may undergo less stress if they are shipped at temperatures corresponding to the particular species' thermal preference. When transporting bats via automobile, NEVER leave them in a parked vehicle when making rest stops.

  Unnecessary transport delays may be avoided by checking long-range weather forecasts for all stops along the shipping route.

  Transport only during regular working hours. Government officials worldwide usually do not work on weekends or holidays. If possible, check the holiday calender for all countries on the shipping route. Also be aware of time differences.

  When shipping, inform colleagues along the shipping route of flight plans and species of bat(s) being transported. If shipping problems arise, they can lend assistance. Call the airlines periodically to check for delays or reroutings.

  Plan shipments around bats' feeding times, being sure to feed just prior to shipping.

  Depending on the bat species, and mode and duration of transport, provide bats with the necessary requirements such as food and/or water. Remember, this does not apply to short, local trips.

  Use the appropriate style of shipping box for the species.

  Never transport mixed species in the same container.

  Never place aromatic bedding, such as pine bark or cedar chips, in transport containers. This material may cause the occupants respiratory distress.

  When transporting bats directly from the wild, ship them without delay. If a delay is unavoidable, hold them for several days to weeks to allow them time to recover from the stress of capture.

  Whenever possible, transport bats as carry-on luggage, and do not allow them to pass through the X-ray machine.

  Be sure the shipping container is large enough to allow certain bat species to feed and void, but small enough to prevent injuries by limiting their movement appropriately.

  Obey the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Welfare Act regulations. To obtain a copy, call the USDA Animal Care Division nearest you. Registrars in major zoos should also have this information.

Described below are ideas that have proven successful for transporting various bat species both long and short distances. The bat carriers shown only in FIGURES 14, 17 and 18 meet the specifications of the USDA Animal Welfare Act, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) animal regulations, and the United States Department of Interior's (USDI) Fish and Wildlife Injurious Animal regulations. All other containers described in this chapter do not meet those regulations and therefore cannot be used to transport bats via the airlines.

by taping tops closed as shown in FIGURE 13. Because tape tends to dry out, it should be changed each time a bat is transported. If more than one bat is being transported, a separate container should be used for each animal if they are incompatible, or of different species. Bats should not be transported with water in styrofoam containers because it can spill, causing the animal and other contents to become wet. On the other hand, it is often necessary to transport bats with water in the carriers when they are being shipped long distances.

Figure 13.  All styrofoam coolers must be taped to prevent the bats from escaping.  It is also advisable to label the container, LIVE ANIMALS.

Large, styrofoam containers can also serve as temporary housing for bats that must remain at a veterinary clinic for observation and treatment (see TEMPORARY HOLDING below). When maintaining a bat overnight, away from its permanent enclosure, have an adequate supply of food on hand. An occasional bat will be a "chewer"; these should never be kept in styrofoam containers overnight.

To insure adequate ventilation, punch one or two rows of holes in the box from the inside to the outside. If pieces of styrofoam break away from the box, the damage will be on the outside of the box where a bat cannot enlarge the hole and escape. Holes must be small enough to prevent a containerized bat from escaping.

Crevice-dwelling bats are the easiest to ship long distances. Over a 10-year period, I have shipped hundreds of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) throughout the United States and Canada without a fatality. The bats are placed individually in small flour sacks, then in the box (FIG. 14). To prevent sliding during transport, surround the sacks containing the bats with empty ones. Do not, however, place anything on top of the sacked bats.

Figure 14.  Transport container appropriate for shipping crevice-dwelling bats.  This design meets the approval of all regulatory agencies governing animal transport.  A) plastic tool box;  B) interior box constructed of wood veneer to reduce weight - it must lock and fit tightly inside the outer box;  C) flour sacks - use one bag per bat, tie them securely, and position them in such a way that they do not slide around inside the interior box.

preferably with leaves, should be wedged diagonally across the cooler to serve as a perch (Fig. 15), especially when transporting red bats (L. borealis). Red bats have extremely tender skin which is easily damaged, and many of these bats thrash violently when confined. Never place these animals in sacks, as even there they can suffer considerable injury (Constantine, 1986b). Red bats also may be transported in containers used for "flighty" species as described below.

Figure 15.  When transporting red bats (L. borealis) short distances, or caging them temporarily in styrofoam containers, either wedge a branch inside the container as shown here or affix mesh to the container top.  Red bats must hang freely to prevent them from soiling themselves with their own excrement (illustration from Barnard, 1992).

For short-distance transport of large tree-dwelling bats (e.g., many flying foxes), the carrier design shown in FIGURE 16 works well. It has been used to transported Bat Conservation International's (Austin, TX) flying foxes for approximately 15 or more years, and I have used this design to transport flying foxes for over 6 years.

Figure 16.  Container used to transport flying foxes locally, or as airlines' carry-on luggage.  This container is NOT suitable for holding a flying fox for more than approximately 8 hours.  When transporting foxes on overnight trips, see FIGURE 21 for temporary caging.  A) box constructed of wood veneer for lightness;  B) one of two doors open showing mesh-lined top - the two wide sides also should be lined with mesh;  C) box showing latching device which can be padlocked to prevent accidental escapes.  (Figure 16B and C:  transport container photographed from model provided by Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX).

The transport carrier design shown in FIGURE 17 is similar to the ones used to ship 12 Malayan flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus), 42 Island flying foxes (P. hypomelanus) and 12 Malaysian short-nosed fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) from Indonesia to Gainesville, Florida. This design proved so successful that all of the bats survived. This design incorporates the isolation concept used by many researchers, but at the same time permits bats to have close contact with roost mates (FIG. 17b. Other features of this carrier include a sloping side with a smooth surface (FIG. 17c) to prevent bats from hanging over and contaminating their food, and a raised mesh floor (FIG. 17d) to protect bats from direct contact with contaminated or moist bedding.

Figure 17.  Shipping container suitable for species other than crevice-dwellers.  This design meets the approval of all regulatory agencies governing animal transport.  For construction plans, either write to me or to Dale L. Anderson, Publisher, Handbook of Live Animal Transport, P.O. Box 441110, Fort Washington, MD, USA  20749-0653.  A) Exterior box made of lightweight wood;  B) two interior, mesh units which can house from one to many bats, depending on size;  C) food drawer allows personnel to change water/food enroute, and the sloping, smooth door prevents bats from hanging over the food/water tray when the drawer is closed;  D) mesh flooring prevents bats from making contact with soiled bedding, while at the same time allows excrement and fluids to pass through.

"Flighty" Bats
Many bats (e.g., Pteronotus, Carollia, Macroderma) take flight quickly, and can evade capture easily. Such evasive maneuvering in captivity has caused injuries and deaths. For short-distance transport, these bats may be placed in a polyethylene mesh cage (which must be constructed) within a styrofoam cooler. If an appropriately sized styrofoam cooler is unavailable, a lightweight wood box can be constructed. Containers used to transport flightly bats should be just large enough to allow the animal to extend its wings fully.

Although many workers isolate flighty bats for shipping, others prefer to group them together. Vampire and short-tailed fruit bats have been shipped successfully in modified pet carriers (FIG. 18). This type of carrier works well for bats that naturally hang from horizontal surfaces.

Figure 18.  When lined with mesh, pet carriers make excellent shipping containers for bats.  With a separate mesh cage placed inside the pet carrier, such a container meets the approval of all regulatory agencies governing animal transport.  A) assembled;  B) disassembled showing mesh lining - use Goop™ to adhere mesh to carrier.

The carrier design (FIG. 17) used to ship the flying foxes from Indonesia to Florida also was used to ship 30 vampire bats from Atlanta, Georgia to Yokohama, Japan. As with the flying foxes, all of the vampire bats survived the trip. Construction plans and further information concerning this design can be found in the Handbook of Live Animal Transport, Supplement #30, (P.O. Box 441110, Fort Washington, MD, USA 20749-0653).

TEMPORARY HOLDING
Rehabilitators should house each arrival in separate housing to control disease, parasites, injuries from fighting (especially among males), stress, and competition for food. Large styrofoam coolers can be modified to house temporarily a wide variety of small bats (e.g., up to 80 g). They should not be used to house bats for extended periods (i.e., for more than a couple of weeks). Bats that must be held for extended periods should be transferred to a permanent cage designed for the particular species (see Chapter 5, ENVIRONMENT AND HOUSING FOR ADULT BATS).

For housing temporarily crevice-dwelling bats, place a clean pillowcase or T-shirt (without frayed edges) in one corner of a styrofoam cooler to serve as a perch (FIG. 19). Red bats require drapes fixed to the cooler sides (FIG. 20) with Velcro®, NOT tape. Also place a sturdy branch in the container, as shown in FIGURE 15, to serve as a perch. Lining a cooler with polyethylene mesh, as was done with the airlines kennel shown in FIGURE 18, is an excellent alternative to drapes.

Figure 19.  T-shirts, pillowcases, or similar items make ideal perches for crevice-dwelling bats.  Be sure to leave enough space for food and water containers (from Barnard, 1992).

Figure 20.  Red bats (Lasiurus borealis) require caging with soft sides.  This is easily achieved by attaching soft drapery to the interior sides with Velcro®, NOT tape.

A cage to hold temporarily flying foxes (family Pteropodidae) can be constructed with fiberglass mesh and PVC pipe as shown in FIGURE 21. This design is also suitable for housing red bats (L. borealis) for short periods. This design can be made as a portable unit, making it especially useful when having to house flying foxes in hotel rooms, or similar facilities. For construction of the three-way joints, see Chapter 5, FIGURE 36.

Figure 21.  Portable cage constructed of fiberglass mesh and PVC pipe (photographed from model provided by Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX).

Flighty bats MUST be housed in mesh-lined containers. Mesh-lined styrofoam coolers work well for small species. To prevent escapes while cleaning and feeding, fit the cooler with a sleeve. This is achieved by cutting a hole in the cooler side large enough to pass a hand through. Tape a shirt sleeve around the hole, and tie off the other end with a rubberband. Use of a sleeve also works well with small mesh caging. Flighty bats should be transferred to the universal cage, described in Chapter 5, when holding them for extended periods.

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