Bats are misunderstood creatures by Rene Hatten - posted Thursday, March 14th, 2013 @ 12:00 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  In the 70's, Dark Shadows, was a Soap Opera that aired in the afternoon after school, it was about Barnabus Collins, a vampire. I could never miss it because it would be all the talk at school the next day. My childhood fear of bats came from this show. Barnabus Collins would change into a bat form, come into an innocent's bedroom at night, and suck their blood. Therefore, as a child scared to death of bats, it could be 90 degrees at night and I would have cover around my neck at night trying to go to sleep. It is unfortunate that much of what people "know" about bats has been learned from Hollywood. Hollywood has not been very accurate or flattering in its portrayal of these small beneficial mammals. Bats may be the most misunderstood animals in the United States, although as consumers of enormous numbers of insects, they rank among the most beneficial. Almost all United States bats, and 70 percent of the bat species worldwide, feed almost exclusively on insects and are thus extremely beneficial. ..... For the full story, subscribe to the The Ouachita Citizen's NEW E-Edition!