Fear of bats

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Fear of bats, sometimes called chiroptophobia (an incorrect derivation from the order Chiroptera of bats) may refer both to a specific phobia associated with bats and to common negative stereotypes and fear of bats stemming from prejudices and misinformation. Not all bat phobias are caused by misinformation or prejudice, however. Bites from rabid bats or other negative experiences could also cause this phobia.

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[edit] Roots and misconceptions

Bats, being nocturnal animals, are associated with various dangers and fears of darkness, with the centuries of prejudices and accompanying myths of Dracula, Halloween, etc.

Contrary to a widespread misconception, only 3 species of bats feed on blood, and these species only live in Latin America. Common ignorance often leads to misidentification. Merlin Tuttle in his book describes various cases ranging from an owl defending its nest to a person scratching his arm by an obstacle when yanking it in fright and subsequently getting inoculated against a "rabid bat" bite.

At the same time, the fear of bats may be naturally reinforced by the natural startle response experienced by an unsuspecting person, e.g., when a disturbed colony of bats dashes out of a cave.

Often, people fear bats due to the possibility of contracting rabies, but only 0.5% of all bats carry rabies[citation needed]. If you should find a bat in your house or dwelling, the best way to get rid of it is to open all windows (and doors) leading outside while sealing off entrances to the rest of the house and let it leave on its own.

[edit] Dangers

The very fear of bats may present a higher danger than bats themselves: numerous people have broken their legs falling off ladders or tripping over logs in fearful reaction to the presence of a bat (or any other creature or occurrence that may startle a person with or without an already-present fear of the animal).[citation needed]

Another real danger of the fear of bats is mass killings of bats and destruction of bat roosts, which leads to decline in population of these beneficial insect-eating and pollinating animals that are an important part of the ecosystem.

[edit] Phobia

As it is common with specific phobias, an occasional fright may give rise to abnormal anxiety that requires treatment. An abnormal fear of bats may be treated by any standard treatment for specific phobias. Due to the fact that the fear is not life altering, it can usually just be left untreated.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_bats"
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