Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Introduction
Bats are often misrepresented as scary bloodsucking mammals that spread diseases. In reality, they very rarely spread diseases and only a few species feed on blood, while most eat fruit or insects. Bats provide essential ecosystem services such as seed dispersal, pollination and helping to maintain the balance of insect populations.
of the horseshoe bat is shaped differently from that of other bats, and its shape means that they cannot crawl. When transporting these bats, they must be able to hang free without anything touching their wings. Horseshoe bats also have a complex horseshoeshaped nose leaf. It is related to their particular type of high-frequency echolocation system [ 1 ], which sounds other-worldly when heard through a bat detector.
The UK is home to 18 species of bat, which sadly face increasing threats from habitat loss, climate change and human disturbance. They are legally protected in the UK, but they could still do with as much help as possible. There are a variety of ways veterinary professionals can help bats in practice.
Bat anatomy
Bat anatomy is fascinating: they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. They navigate through echolocation: emitting sounds that bounce back to them from the environment, with the returning echoes enabling the bat to interpret its surroundings, including the location of objects and prey insects.
A bat ' s wings have a bone structure similar to that of the human hand, and the membrane of the wing is living tissue similar to the tiny flaps of skin joining the base of human fingers( Figure 1). The second and third digits of a bat ' s wings are the most important for flight; a fracture in either one gives a poor prognosis for the bat.
Figure 2. A greater horseshoe bat.
First aid box for bats
It is useful to keep a first aid box for bats somewhere in the practice for use in the event of a bat being brought in for veterinary care( Figure 3).
Figure 1. The wing anatomy of a common pipistrelle bat.
In the UK, horseshoe bats( Figure 2) are the only species of bat that can hang from the ceiling; other species hide in crevices or cling to walls. The pelvis
Figure 3. An example of a practice ' s first aid box for bats.
Volume 41( 1) • February 2026
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