BRENT: Along with zombies, ghosts and other terrifying phantasms, bats are one of the ultimate symbols that represent Halloween, and experts say that there are several noteworthy reasons for it. The mammal’s association with the creepy holiday can be traced back to its migration habits, one of the experts said.
Nate Fuller, bat biology program graduate student at Boston University, explained that during autumn, swarms of bats in the Northeastern part of the United States flood the skies to prepare for hibernation or for migrating into the south.
Fuller said that mid-1800s Scottish and Irish immigrants who brought the Celtic holiday of Samhain to the country possibly saw these swarming bats and begun to associate the winged creatures’ presence with the autumn holiday. Samhain eventually led to Halloween, he said.
Certain bat species go south for the winter, while other bat species in the West often do not have to hibernate or migrate because of the warm enough climate in the area, said Shannon Curie from Bat Organization.
“By late October most bats from Chicago to Boston and north have already started to hibernate in a mine or cave or have migrated well south of (the northern) area,” explained Professor Allen Kurta, a bat specialist from Eastern Michigan University.
Moreover, traditional tales and pop culture influences have associated bats with dread and fear. Certain stories include blood-drinking vampires who have the ability to turn into bats, and these tales have spread into the Halloween folklore.
However, experts say that in reality, these mammals are actually quite harmless.
