Bat
Chiroptera spp.
What to do NOW
- 1Pick up EXCLUSIVELY with cut-resistant gloves, thick oven gloves, or using a box — never bare-handed
- 2Place an open box near the animal and guide it inside with a piece of cardboard
- 3Box with small holes (it must not escape), damp folded cloth on the bottom (humidity is vital)
- 4Keep at 18–20°C, in the dark, away from draughts
- 5Contact CRAS or the Gruppo Italiano Ricerca Chirotteri (GIRC)
- 6If bitten or scratched: wash the wound with soap and water for AT LEAST 15 minutes, disinfect with iodine, go to A&E within 24 hours to assess post-exposure prophylaxis
NEVER do this
- NEVER touch bare-handed — absolute rule, no exceptions
- Do not give food or water without CRAS guidance
- Do not release during the day or at temperatures below 10°C
- Do not cage in wire mesh (it damages the wing membranes)
- Do not use insecticides in the room where it was found
Important note
Italian bats may carry European Bat Lyssavirus (EBL1 and EBL2), a virus in the rabies family. The risk of transmission is low but real and the virus is fatal without timely prophylaxis. In case of contact with broken skin or a bite: A&E staff must be told it was contact with a bat — prophylaxis with immunoglobulins and vaccine must begin within 24–48 hours of exposure.
Legal protection
All Italian bats (all 34 species) are protected by Legislative Decree 227/2001, Law 221/2015, and the Habitats Directive (Annex IV). Disturbing them even at hibernation or breeding sites (caves, attics, buildings) is prohibited.
Also known as
- common noctule
- soprano pipistrelle
- serotine bat
- miniopterus
- horseshoe bat
- long-eared bat
- common pipistrelle
Similar animals
Full guide
Found a bat on the ground? Don't touch it with bare hands — here's why
A bat out in daylight is always in trouble. Practical rescue guide: how to pick it up safely, the real risks (and the exaggerated ones), and where to take it.
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