By Simon Jones
Published Sep 18, 2015 at 8:00 am (Updated Sep 18, 2015 at 8:23 am)

A stricken bat was nursed back to health by zoo staff after it was found on a construction site.

On Wednesday the Silver-Haired Bat was brought into the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo and fed Gatorade and a grub to replenish its sugar levels.

The animal, which is one of four migratory species of bat found in Bermuda, was later released at Devonshire Marsh. “A little known fact is that Bermuda has four species of migratory North American bats who visit the island occasionally: the Hoary Bat, Eastern Red Bat, Seminole Bat and Silver-Haired Bat,” said Ian Walker, BAMZ curator.

“These bats are usually found in Bermuda during their spring and fall migrations, from August to November and April to June.

“They are not thought to be resident here, just passing through.”

The Silver-Haired Bat is found from southern Canada to the southern United States. It usually has black fur with silvery white tips.

They are thought to live up to 12 years, and can be found on their own, in pairs or in small groups. Dr Walker added: “Bats hunt for food between dusk and dawn, and go back to a favourite place to rest during the day — called roosting.

“The bats found in Bermuda are more likely to roost in trees than in caves.

“Bermuda does not have enough forest left to support a resident population of bats, and there is not sufficient food here to support many of them for long.

“All of the bats recorded in Bermuda eat insects, such as moths, flies, wasps, bees and crickets.

“They feed while flying around at night, so they produce sounds that bounce off flying insects and echo back to the bats, letting them know where the food is located. This is called echolocation.”