Page 3 - The Shores of Jupiter - February '22
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The Shores, Page 3
      Northern Notes



       Going Batty                                         Bats are unique animals                         are over 1,000 species of bats. From the fossil records we have
                                                         and are not flying rodents.                       learned that bats existed over 65 million years ago. Today, they
       By Katie Roundtree,                               Although some mammals                             inhabit all areas of the globe except Antarctica and the extreme
       Director of Finance and                           can glide, bats are the only                      desert regions, but most bat species live in the tropics. The most
       Administration, Northern                          mammal that can truly fly.                        common bats in south Florida include the Brazilian free-tailed
       Palm Beach County                                 Scientists have classified bats                   bat, big brown bat, Seminole bat and the evening bat.
       Improvement District                              into a unique group or order                        Bats eat a variety of things, including insects, fruit, nectar, fish
         Florida is  home  to                            called “Chiroptera,” which                        and small vertebrates, but only three species feed on blood. Bats
       approximately 13 species                          means “hand wing.” Bats                           also come in many different colors, shapes and sizes. The largest
       of bats year-round. These                         literally fly with their hands!                   bat in the world is the Malayan flying fox, a fruit-eater. It can
       flying mammals are a                              Their wings are much like                         weigh over 2½ pounds and have a wingspan of over 6 feet! The
       critical part of Florida’s                        our hands, but with longer                        smallest bat is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, an insect-eater,
       natural  ecosystem.  They                         fingers and a thin, but tough,                    which weighs less than a penny and has a wingspan of only 5
       are extraordinary animals                         membrane (skin) between   Source: UF Florida Wildlife   inches. Most bats in Florida eat insects. They prey upon insects
       that are misunderstood by many.                   the fingers. Worldwide there   Extension          that are pests to humans and agriculture. Insectivorous bats can
                                                                                                           eat their body weight in insects each night, which means up to
                                                                                                           3,000 insects in just one night!
         Solid Waste Authority from page 1               yellow recycle bins for free! Just one more way the SWA     There are many myths and misconceptions regarding
                                                         makes it easy for you to Recycle Right.           bats. Bats are not blind. They have the same five senses we
         hazardous, but they don’t really know what to do with them.   About The Solid Waste Authority     do: smelling, hearing, tasting, seeing and feeling. Some bats,
         Rechargeable batteries, car or boat batteries, nickel-cadmium     The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County (SWA) is   however, have highly developed sonar capabilities, called
         and lithium ion batteries can all go to an HCRC.   a Dependent Special District that was created by the Florida   “echolocation.” Bats produce echolocation by emitting high
           2. Old electronics like cell phones, computers and TVs are   Legislature in 1975. Since then, the SWA has developed an   frequency sound pulses through their mouth or nose and
         actually considered household hazardous waste, but they can   award-winning integrated solid waste management system to   listening to the echo. With this echo, the bat can determine
         be taken to an HCRC for free disposal.          handle the county’s waste and recyclables. We call ourselves   the size, shape and texture of objects in its environment. Bat
           3. Fluorescent bulbs, even the little curly-cue compacts,   AWAY: whether you throw it, recycle it or flush it AWAY, we   echolocation is so sophisticated that these animals can detect
         have mercury in them. That is a hazardous waste. So all   put your waste to work. Each year, we:   an object the width of a human hair.
         fluorescent bulbs should be taken to an HCRC or other home     • Process more than 100,000 tons of recyclables.     Bats do not attack people just for spite. They are generally
         improvement store.                                • Combust approximately 1.8 million tons of trash to   timid animals and prefer to stay away from humans. Vampire
           4. If your garage is full of home chemicals, much of it   generate electricity at renewable energy facilities.   bats do not live in the United States. They are only found in
         can be taken to an HCRC. Old paint, solvents, oil, gasoline,     • Produce enough electricity to power approximately   southern Mexico, Central and South America.
         electronics, fluorescent bulbs can all be dropped off at once!   74,000 homes, about the number of homes in Boca Raton     The most common misconception that people have is that all
           5. Do you have old paint? Take it to an HCRC where old   and Palm Beach Gardens.                bats are rabid. This is not true. Studies have shown that less than
         paint is sent away to be recycled into new and donated to     • Recycle more than 150,000 tons of wastewater treatment   1 percent of bats contract rabies and when they do, they usually
         Palm Beach County families in need.             residuals (sludge from flushes) into environmentally-friendly   die within three or four days. Although they do not become
           If you’re looking for your nearest Home Chemical and   fertilizer.                              aggressive, they can end up on the ground or someplace they do
         Recycling Center, check out our website.          • Safely dispose of more than 4.9 million pounds of home   not belong and if handled may bite in self-defense and transmit
         Jupiter                                         hazards.                                          a disease. Never handle a wild bat with your bare hands and
         North County Transfer Station                     • Collect water off of the roofs of Renewable Energy   make sure your pet’s vaccinations are current. Never handle or
         14185 Military Trail (SWA Road) in Jupiter      Facility 2 and store it in a 2-million-gallon cistern, which is   play with any wild animals, including bats. They are wild
         Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.to 3 p.m.   used as part of the energy making process.   and meant to be left alone.
           Ready to get started? You can Recycle Right in Palm     With the recent changes to the SWA’s website, anyone can     Bats are disappearing at alarming rates. Disturbance or
         Beach County whether at home, school, work or play. If   now sign up to receive SWA news, calendar updates, jobs, or   destruction of roost sites due to development and vandalism
         you need new recycling bins, Palm Beach County residents   other Web postings of interest by signing up online. Should   is the greatest threat to the world’s bats. Most bats living in
         can call the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County at   you sign up online to receive SWA’s news releases, we can   Florida prefer to roost in mature or dead trees or in caves.
         866-NEW-BINS, (866) 639-2467 or order online at SWA.  remove you from this distribution by sending a remove reply   However, many bats are squeezed out of urban areas due to
         org/RecycleRight, and we’ll send you replacement blue or   to this email.                         loss of habitat or take up residence in buildings and become
                                                                                                           the targets for abuse. Public education and preservation of roost
                                                                                                           sites are the keys to maintaining Florida’s native bat populations.
                                                                                                           You can help bats by learning more about them and sharing
                                                                                                           bat information with others. Fear and misunderstanding are
             new listing!                                                                                  some of the worst enemies of bats. This is why education is so
                                                                                                           important. Bat houses are also a perfect way to get involved in
                                                                                                           conservation. A bat house in your backyard will provide bats
        6869 Big Cypress Drive                                                                             with a much needed, safe place to live. They will also do you
                                                                                                           the return favor of eating insects around the area. You can also
                                                                                                           help by supporting conservation groups that protect wildlife
            The Market in the Shores is HOT                                                                habitats and preserve natural lands.
         The value of your Shores home has never been Higher!                                                For more information go to The Florida Bat Conservancy’s
               Call me today for your free market analysis                                                 website at www.floridabats.org or the University of Florida’s
                    Your Shores Real Estate Specialist                                                     Florida Wildlife Extension at www.wec.ufl.edu/extension.
                                                                                                             NPDES tip: Planting a rain garden with native plants
        Your Shores Specialist               Call for any Real Estate                                      somewhere around your home helps lock rainwater in the
                                               questions or needs
                                                                                                           ground, reducing the flow of pollutants and poisons into the
                                                                                                           drains. Using organic fertilizers and pesticides in your garden
                                                                                                           further protects and brings health to your yard and all the
                                                                                                           species living there.

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