There’s still time to register for tonight’s bat program at the Medfield Public Library.

Scientist John Foster, also known as “Bat Man,” will introduce children over the age of 6 (and adults too) to these amazing nighttime creatures.  

Spectators will learn that bats are a very important part of the eco-system and will see photos, learn about bat eating habits and how they navigate, hold a bat skeleton, and use a Bat Detector to locate bats at the Town Gazebo.

The program will take place in the library meeting room from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  The program is free but registration is requested.

Fun bat facts from the Animal Planet website

Did you know…

Mosquito Catchers: Hollywood may have given bats a bad name, but the zigzag path of a bat against the night sky can mean only one thing, thousands of mosquitoes are about to meet their maker, thus lessening the chance of outbreaks of malaria in other animals including humans.

Fruit and Blood Eaters: Some species of bats also eat fruit and use their tongues to sip nectar. Carnivorous bats put lizards and frogs on the menu, and fish-eating bats have no trouble capturing a fish dinner with their hooked claws. The infamous vampire bat uses its sharp teeth to pierce the skin of animals for the liquid nourishment of blood.

Flapping Wings: Bats are the only mammal that can take to the sky on flapping wings. Wingspans range from over 5 feet in the fox bat to 6 inches in the hog-nosed bat. Many species of bat are found worldwide in tropical and temperate climates.

Seeing by Listening: In its nightly search for food, a bat's secret weapon is echolocation. Focusing on a tasty morsel, a clicking sound is emitted through its mouth or nose. The time it takes for the sound to return to the bat's highly receptive ears reveals the size and location of the object.