California now has a state bat

By Chris Hagel

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    California (KSBW) — California now has a state bat just in time for Halloween.

Senate Bill No. 732, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 8, established the Pallid bat as the official state bat.

In the bill authored by state Sen. Caroline Menjivar, the bat was picked due to its contributions to the state.

According to the bill, the Pallid bat eats insects such as mosquitos, wasps, and flies, and bats have provided more than $1,000,000,000 worth of pest control to California Agriculture.

Bats also eat bark beetles and wood borers, which helps reduce wildfire risk in California forests.

Pallid bats live in California’s deserts, oak woodlands, coastal redwood forests, and high up into the pine forests of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

In a background document for the bill, they say the Pallid bat is a medium-sized bat, characterized by its distinctive pale golden color and large ears and can be found patrolling the night skies of the state. They live in colonies and have a language of calls to communicate with one another.

The designation of the Pallid bat as the state bat received support from several wildlife and bat groups, and the author of the bill says this will help promote appreciation, study, and protection of bats in this state.

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