Fear of bats
Encyclopedia
Fear of bats, sometimes called chiroptophobia, may refer both to a specific
phobia
associated with bats and to common negative stereotype
s and fear of bats stemming from prejudice
s and misinformation.
s, being nocturnal animal
s, are associated with various dangers and fears of darkness, with the centuries of prejudices and accompanying myths of Dracula
, Halloween
, etc.
Contrary to a widespread misconception, only 3 species of bats feed on blood, and these species only live in Latin America. Common ignorance often leads to misidentification.
At the same time, the fear of bats may be naturally reinforced by the natural startle response experienced by an unsuspecting person, e.g., when a disturbed colony of bats dashes out of a cave.
Often, people fear bats due to the possibility of contracting rabies, but only 0.5% of vampire bats carry rabies.
that requires treatment. An abnormal fear of bats may be treated by any standard treatment for specific phobias. Due to the fact that the fear is not life altering, it can usually just be left untreated.
A modern example associating fear with bats in fiction is DC Comics' Batman
. In many adaptations, Batman is said to have chosen to emulate bats to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. In the film Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne, Batman's secret identity, actually develops a fear of bats as a child when he falls into a cave and is attacked by bats. Henri Ducard
who is really Ra's al Ghul
makes a grown up Bruce Wayne conquer his fear. Scarecrow
is also mentioned as being afraid of bats.
In Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
the titular character
is revealed to have chiroptophobia despite his otherwise strong affinity for animals.
Hank Hill
from King of the Hill
has chiroptophobia.
Grif from Red vs. Blue
also showed signs of chiroptophobia during the series' fifth season
.
After Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
dazed herself by running into Twilight Sparkle, she displayed a chiroptophobic panic when two tickets landed on her snout.
Specific phobia
A specific phobia is a generic term for any kind of anxiety disorder that amounts to an unreasonable or irrational fear related to exposure to specific objects or situations...
phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
associated with bats and to common negative stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s and fear of bats stemming from prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
s and misinformation.
Roots and misconceptions
BatBat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, being nocturnal animal
Nocturnal animal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal"....
s, are associated with various dangers and fears of darkness, with the centuries of prejudices and accompanying myths of Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, etc.
Contrary to a widespread misconception, only 3 species of bats feed on blood, and these species only live in Latin America. Common ignorance often leads to misidentification.
At the same time, the fear of bats may be naturally reinforced by the natural startle response experienced by an unsuspecting person, e.g., when a disturbed colony of bats dashes out of a cave.
Often, people fear bats due to the possibility of contracting rabies, but only 0.5% of vampire bats carry rabies.
Phobia
As is common with specific phobias, an occasional fright may give rise to abnormal anxietyAnxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
that requires treatment. An abnormal fear of bats may be treated by any standard treatment for specific phobias. Due to the fact that the fear is not life altering, it can usually just be left untreated.
Fiction
Building on the fear of bats, vampires in stories and films are often portrayed as being able to transform into bats for locomotion.A modern example associating fear with bats in fiction is DC Comics' Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. In many adaptations, Batman is said to have chosen to emulate bats to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. In the film Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne, Batman's secret identity, actually develops a fear of bats as a child when he falls into a cave and is attacked by bats. Henri Ducard
Henri Ducard
Henri Ducard is a fictional character in the Batman comic book universe. Created by Sam Hamm, Ducard's first appearance was in Detective Comics #599 , part of the "Blind Justice" story arc...
who is really Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
makes a grown up Bruce Wayne conquer his fear. Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
is also mentioned as being afraid of bats.
In Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is the sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective . Jim Carrey reprises his role as the title character Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in retrieval of tame or captive animals. This is the only sequel to a film starring Carrey in which Carrey reprised his role...
the titular character
Ace Ventura
Ace Ventura is a fictional character, created by screenwriters Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk. Ace was played by Jim Carrey in the films He was voiced by Michael Daingerfield in the animated television series.-Biography:Ace is a...
is revealed to have chiroptophobia despite his otherwise strong affinity for animals.
Hank Hill
Hank Hill
Henry Rutherford "Hank" Hill Age 50 animated series King of the Hill. Hank lives in Arlen, Texas and works at the fictional Strickland Propane selling propane and propane accessories. Hank's voice is provided by series creator Mike Judge. The Economist named Hank Hill as one of the wisest people...
from King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
has chiroptophobia.
Grif from Red vs. Blue
Red vs. Blue
Red vs. Blue, often abbreviated as RvB, is a set of related comic science fiction video series created by Rooster Teeth Productions and distributed through the Internet and on DVD...
also showed signs of chiroptophobia during the series' fifth season
Red vs. Blue (season 5)
This is a list of episodes for season 5 of the machinima comedy series Red vs. Blue. This is the final season of the Blood Gulch Chronicles, and the longest season of the series, with a run of 23 episodes.-Episode 78:...
.
After Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series that premiered on October 10, 2010 on the United States cable network The Hub, and is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works. The series is produced by Hasbro Studios and DHX Media Vancouver...
dazed herself by running into Twilight Sparkle, she displayed a chiroptophobic panic when two tickets landed on her snout.
External links
- earthlife.net: Bats and Humanity
- House Bat Management (a USGS online publ. for Greenhall, Arthur M. 1982. "House bat management". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Resource Publication 143. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online)
- Bats Northwest - a non profit dedicated to education, research & conservation
- Bat Conservation International