I found a bat and have no idea what to do.

[Tribunal]

Bat World (a local sanctuary) has a good page on what to do if you've found a bat.

They also have a nationwide database of animal rehabilitators, though it can be sparse in some areas.

Their "What to Do" page

Edit: Sorry, they've re-done their website!! It looks like they don't have any of the old East-Coast rescuers up anymore. I will see what I can find elsewhere.

Meanwhile, their temporary care instructions for an injured bat are now on THIS PAGE

[Laize]

Bat World (a local sanctuary) has a good page on what to do if you've found a bat.

They also have a nationwide database of animal rehabilitators, though it can be sparse in some areas.

Their "What to Do" page

Most helpful post yet. Much appreciated.

[Tribunal]

Most helpful post yet. Much appreciated.

Make sure you check my edit, they've moved some stuff around on me! Going to see if I can find a NJ rescuer in the meantime.

P.s. You might just try calling Bat World. Yes it's late but they used to have someone answering 24 hours, and they may know someone in your area who'd not listed/be able to give more advice.

[Deleted]

I have never taken care of a bat but I live in a rural area and every summer a fair amount of birds, mouses and other little critters go trough my house as they suffer from heat stroke or cat attacks.
The first thing that kills any little critter within 24 hours of finding it is shock. The chances of that happening are extremely high! The only way to reduce the chance of this happening is to put it in a small covered box, make sure its completely dark in there. And then leave it the fuck alone for at least 12 hours! Do not even check up on it! Spend your time googling the species you found and what it eats. After 12+ hours you check if its alive, Do not handle the critter! just quickly check if its still moving. If it is then you give it some water and food (small amounts, I like to use bottle caps for dishes). At this point you can also start looking for any shelters that would take it. It is very important you minimize the amount you handle it, the more you handle it, the faster it will die of shock.

[Tribunal]

Here's a PDF of all of the registered wildlife rehabbers in NJ. If there's one near you that accepts bats I would probably try calling them right now anyways, most are likely to be pretty understanding if the little guy is badly hurt.

Otherwise, it may at least give you someone to call int he morning.

Click!. It's from the Dep of Fish and Wildlife website, here, just in case you're concerned.

[Deleted]

Put a cat in the same room as the bat. The cat will know what to do.

Also that looks like a insect bat. Give it a worm or a "wing clipped" fly.

[Starving Artist]

Only answer I can think of is get a batman costume and let this guy fly around your room while you wear the costume watching the batman trilogy ...ultimate batman fan is born !

[Deleted]

I already found 4 bats in my backyard, there at not so uncommon here.

We have a little center 20 minutes away with a car, they take care of bats. Its an old closed Citadel from the 16th century where they are set loose.

I think the most countries have some of those centers ? But you should not touch them, while the most bats are healthy, some of them carry disease.

good luck little bat

[Deleted]

You should ride him. Nice epic mount.

[testsubjectzz]

The best idea is to definately to take it to the bat rescue. They are quite dangerous. They harbour a bunch of zoonotic viruses without showing clinical symptoms. One of these viruses mentioned is the rabies virus but others include the nipah virus, sars virus and also ebola virus so rabies would be the least of your problems and virus can be shed from saliva, urine and faeces.

If it's a big bat it would most likely be in the pteropididae family a group that feeds on fruit. The smaller bats feed on like others have said insects, fish and blood.

Tldr feed it fruit and dont get bitten.

[Puck]

Judging from the matted patch of fur on its back it is injured. Are their any wildlife centers in your area that you can take it into?

If you see that it is in pain and close to death you may just have to end it, no sense in letting it die a slow miserable death.

[Zavri]

Could just put it out of it's misery with a pellet rifle.....

[CptMitta]

Feed it steriods and keep feeding it till it grows large enough to ride. Put on dark clothes and a hood. Mount your new warbat, and you're now a Nazgul.

[Deleted]

Train it, then send it out on asssassination missions, make sure it has rabies.


o_o

[Deleted]

become batman

[Wilian]

How about letting nature do it's due course.

[Catta]

Not even kidding.

Here he is.

So I seriously require help in what I should do. I'm no animal expert and I have no idea if he's hurt or what. He doesn't seem capable of flight though he's certainly able to scurry around on the ground.

Right now I have him under a blanket in my bathroom but his breathing is very rapid. The local bat rescue doesn't have a 24/7 800 number (It seems to just be a residence) and the world isn't exactly swarming with bat lovers who know what to do when they find one on the ground that I can ask.

Call Fluttershy.

Put it in a shoebox with a juicy fruit i would say.

[kel]

talk in a bane voice, it will run away, if it tries to fight you, break its back.

[Adam Jensen]

it's simple.

You kill the bat....man.

If its so simple, why haven't you done it already?

[Deleted]

If its so simple, why haven't you done it already?

I have killed a bat before. It's quite simple actually, you just stomp them really hard.
However, cleaning it up... That is no simple task.