Terasa's Corner
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
What a surprise I had one Monday when I found this little bat on the floor of the EDC. It is a Brazilian or Mexican Free-tailed Bat. Free-tailed Bats have a tail that sticks out beyond the tail membrane which makes them easy to recognize. Their long, narrow wings make them fast fliers but limit their maneuverability. They feed on moths and other flying insects in flight and drink from large bodies of water that are clear of surrounding vegetation.
Bats often get a bad reputation but are remarkable creatures. About two-thirds of bat species are insectivores. They are the primary predators of night-flying insects including many of the most damaging agricultural pests. Those that feed on fruit or nectar make up about one-third of the bat species. They serve as pollinators and aid in seed dispersal. For those of you wondering about vampire bats, there are only 3 species and they do not live in the United States. They do drink blood but they do not suck it up like you see in horror movies. They make a cut in the skin of their prey and then lap up the blood much like dog or cat drinking water. A chemical in bat saliva prevents the blood from clotting and has been used to develop stroke treatments for humans.
They are the only mammal that has true wings and is capable of flight. You might be wondering about flying squirrels but they do not actually fly. They use a fur-covered flap of skin between their front and hind legs to glide. Unfortunately, bat populations are declining nearly everywhere. Find out more about bats how you can be a part of bat conservation at the Bat Conservation International website: http://www.batcon.org/.
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Terasa Young
Lynches River Environmental Discovery Center Supervisor
Originally from upstate New York, Terasa moved to South Carolina in 1996 to attend Coastal Carolina University. While studying at CCU, she conducted research on the foraging preference of ghost crabs on Waites Island, SC. She also worked as an undergraduate staff member of Jump for the Sun; an NSF funded grant to encourage women and girls in Math and Science. After graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, she taught Biology with Horry County Schools. She then served as Education Program Coordinator and later as Program Director for the Children's Museum of South Carolina.
Seeking to share her love of nature with others she joined the Florence County Recreation Department as the Environmental Discovery Center Supervisor (EDC) in July 2007. As Supervisor, she manages the operation of the EDC and oversees the development and implementation of environmental education and outdoor recreational programs and services.