HN Reader

While predation by rats is curious news, much more common (here in the US at least) is predation by raccoons.

Conservation-minded management practice is often to build a "bat friendly" gate at the entrance of a significant bat cave or an abandoned mine portal. These gates are the ideal perch for hungry raccoons to pluck bats right out of the air. Bats emerge from entrances like this near the ceiling, when possible, specifically to avoid predators. Poorly designed gates are the opposite of "bat friendly" and turn the safe entrances into buffets for raccoons.

Why do we care about protecting bats? They're the #1 predator for night-flying insects, which are often crop destroying pests. Every bat we lose equals more chemical pesticide that farmers must use to efficiently grow crops.

This research was from northern Germany and I am wondering if it is something which has gotten as far as Berlin because we used to have a bat population across from our house due to a location near a park and cemetery. Since last summer the bats seem gone (and mosquito population much on the rise).

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45730366

Rats are the best! :)

I suspect this behaviour has been going on for centuries, even millennia, just that no one has been in the position to see or film it.

Some people pointed out on the other thread that the rat would be near blind, but they also have excellent hearing and sense of smell to work around that.

Go to the larder, Ratty! Go to the larder! It's where the grub is. Clever fellas.

(2025)