vampire bats are very ugly- one was on this wildlife program called Deadly 60. Can see why people made stories of vampires and used pictures of vampire bats for part of the imagination.

I'm sure Hieronymus Bosch modelled some of his fouler creations on the features of a bat.

Odd thing about it was, if you looked up you couldn't see a single bat. Not sure where they were sleeping, but the crap was literally all over the church's pews, font - everywhere. The church was not right in the village but a little way out and left locked up all day, so seemed very forlorn and neglected.

I think they have cute faces. Re. Bosch using them as inspiration for the ugly faces in his paintings... we were walking round town the other day and Mr H turns to me and says: "It's just like walking around inside a Bosch painting." (ugly tourists).

I'm not too fond of bats really, one flew at me and messed up my hair when I was in the bat house in Chester Zoo as a kid. It freaked me out cus its so dark in there. I remember my mate once found a bat in her living room she wanted to keep it and sent me pictures of it lol. It was taken away eventually.

No, can't say I do.

I don't find them pretty to look at, but I'd have to be pretty damn stupid to let that be my only opinion of them. Amazing creatures.

I lived in Bath during my A-levels, and had similar thoughts every time I tried to get through the throngs of tourists in the city centre.

I would definitely have preferred bats.

I see them every night when I walk the dog, I live right by a river and they err, roost? underneath it. Hang? Whatever it is they do

The church should sell it for fertiliser - it's great stuff!

I don't find bats repulsive.

Weird thread!

I know. The man who showed us round mumbled something about there being more laws to protect the bats than to protect the church - I've never seen owt like it. I think he'd happily have blasted them all with an AK-47 given half the chance.

I think bats are absolutely gorgeous creatures close up and flying.

I find bats disgusting.

They're horrible. Truly repulsive. Shudder.

No, they're sweet! I love watching them flitting around. A friend of mine in Australia works with wildlife rescue and was raising an orphaned fruit bat that he called Ding. She used to hang off the clothes horse and curtain pole.

D'awwwww

Beautiful!

In their own way, they are absolutely beautiful creatures. Even vampire bats have soft-looking fur and cute faces (when they are not showing their teeth, that is!)

Watching and listening to the native-British bats in-flight is a wonderful experience - particularly on a warm late summer's dusky evening. One of the things I hate about the Winter and early Spring is that you never see them out and about.

I think they're lovely.



Apart from humans you mean?

Actually my favourite animals bats.
Volunteered at a bat sanctuary in Australia, amazing huge flying foxes.

Flying foxes are quite attractive, nice faces.

I remember my uncle found a fruit bat with one wing once while he was out with his dog poor thing! He took it home and built it a large hutch, cared for it for a very long time as it certainly wasn't flying anywhere. Was the cutest thing ever!

Yes, I always think of that story when I see a bat now. Otherwise I find them cute physically.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2509375.stm

I agree, but it's about as a cute as a bat can ever be:

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1104045/th...ATS-570.jpg?15

The adults can be quite off-putting with their bulbous eyes.

Couple of vampire bats talking in their cave. One has just got back from hunting with blood all over his face. His mate is impressed.
"Wow, you look as if you've had a good time. I'm just off out. Where are the easy pickings, then?"
Other bat points his wing out of the cave,
"Do you see* all those flat-topped houses out on the horizon?"
"Yeah, yep!".
"OK, well, do you see* that high, sharp steeple in the middle of them?"
"I do, I do!" says his mate, getting excited.
Other bat retracts his wing and sighs deeply,
"Well, good luck to you 'cos I didn't!"



*Yes, I know bats are technically blind and use sonar or something, but just humour me!

FWIW, I like them. So ugly they're cute.

'Mon the bats!