Page 9 - PGA Community News - February '22

February 2022 February 2022 PGA C.A.N.!, Page 9
Northern Notes

Going Batty we do: smelling, hearing, information with others. Fear and misunderstanding are
tasting, seeing and feeling. some of the worst enemies of bats. This is why education
By Katie Roundtree, Some bats, however, is so important. Bat houses are also a perfect way to get
Director of Finance and have highly developed involved in conservation. A bat house in your backyard
Administration, Northern sonar capabilities, called will provide bats with a much needed, safe place to
Palm Beach County “echolocation.” Bats live. They will also do you the return favor of eating
Improvement District produce echolocation by insects around the area. You can also help by supporting
Florida is home to emitting high frequency conservation groups that protect wildlife habitats and
approximately 13 species sound pulses through their preserve natural lands.
of bats year-round. These mouth or nose and listening For more information go to The Florida Bat
flying mammals are a to the echo. With this echo, Conservancy’s website at www.floridabats.org or the
critical part of Florida’s the bat can determine the University of Florida’s Florida Wildlife Extension at
natural ecosystem. They size, shape and texture of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension.
are extraordinary animals objects in its environment. Source: UF Florida Wildlife NPDES tip: Planting a rain garden with native plants
that are misunderstood by many. Bat echolocation is so Extension somewhere around your home helps lock rainwater in
Bats are unique animals and are not flying rodents. sophisticated that these the ground, reducing the flow of pollutants and poisons
Although some mammals can glide, bats are the only animals can detect an object the width of a human hair. into the drains. Using organic fertilizers and pesticides
mammal that can truly fly. Scientists have classified bats Bats do not attack people just for spite. They are in your garden further protects and brings health to your
into a unique group or order called “Chiroptera,” which generally timid animals and prefer to stay away from yard and all the species living there.
means “hand wing.” Bats literally fly with their hands! humans. Vampire bats do not live in the United States.
Their wings are much like our hands, but with longer They are only found in southern Mexico, Central and
fingers and a thin, but tough, membrane (skin) between the South America.
fingers. Worldwide there are over 1,000 species of bats. The most common misconception that people have
From the fossil records we have learned that bats existed is that all bats are rabid. This is not true. Studies have
over 65 million years ago. Today, they inhabit all areas of shown that less than 1 percent of bats contract rabies and
the globe except Antarctica and the extreme desert regions, when they do, they usually die within three or four days. Garage sales/yard
but most bat species live in the tropics. The most common Although they do not become aggressive, they can end
bats in south Florida include the Brazilian free-tailed bat, up on the ground or someplace they do not belong and if sales are
big brown bat, Seminole bat and the evening bat. handled may bite in self-defense and transmit a disease.
Bats eat a variety of things, including insects, fruit, Never handle a wild bat with your bare hands and make
nectar, fish and small vertebrates, but only three species feed sure your pet’s vaccinations are current. Never handle NOT allowed in
on blood. Bats also come in many different colors, shapes or play with any wild animals, including bats. They
and sizes. The largest bat in the world is the Malayan flying are wild and meant to be left alone.
fox, a fruit-eater. It can weigh over 2½ pounds and have a Bats are disappearing at alarming rates. Disturbance PGA National. sales
wingspan of over 6 feet! The smallest bat is the bumblebee or destruction of roost sites due to development and
bat of Thailand, an insect-eater, which weighs less than a vandalism is the greatest threat to the world’s bats. Most
penny and has a wingspan of only 5 inches. Most bats in bats living in Florida prefer to roost in mature or dead
Florida eat insects. They prey upon insects that are pests trees or in caves. However, many bats are squeezed out
to humans and agriculture. Insectivorous bats can eat their of urban areas due to loss of habitat or take up residence
body weight in insects each night, which means up to 3,000 in buildings and become the targets for abuse. Public
insects in just one night! education and preservation of roost sites are the keys to
There are many myths and misconceptions regarding maintaining Florida’s native bat populations. You can
bats. Bats are not blind. They have the same five senses help bats by learning more about them and sharing bat

When it comes to healing your heart,
A COMMUNITY BUILT ON TEAMWORK
Advanced Heart Care you need a cardiovascular team that
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Medical Center Team
HEAL • Minimally invasive heart valve surgery, performed

• 1st hospital in PB County and the Treasure Coast
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opposed to through the breast bone, may offer
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than traditional open heart surgery
• Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Labs
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Electrophysiologists
• Valve Clinic
• Minimally Invasive Treatment Options (MitraClip™,
TAVR, Convergent, Watchman )
TM
• Vascular Surgery
• Inpatient/Outpatient Cardiac and Pulmonary
Rehabilitation
• Nationally Recognized Programs for Outcomes
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• Participation in clinical research trials for some of
the latest treatments available

3360 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens | pbgmc.com

Neerav Shah, MD, Zbigniew Litwinczuk, MD, Interventional Cardiologist Joseph Motta, MD,
Interventional Cardiologist Chief of Cardiology Cardiothoracic and Peggy Lyons, RN Hazel Jonczak, RN, BSN Jennifer Basso-Kestner, RN, BSN
Vascular Surgeon
To find a Heart Specialist, please call 877-346-1842
or visit pbgmc.com/cardiac.