In a social media landscape dotted with false information and AI-generated images, a bat bum aimed at 鈥榖rightening the feed鈥� might seem unreal.

They do exist, just not as we see them, explained Julianna Laposa-Wilde, Southern Vancouver Island Bat Program coordinator with Habitat Aquisition Trust.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have bum cheeks but they do have glute muscles,鈥� Laposa-Wilde explained.

While a fun little fact, and they look similar in some situations, the bat bottoms are not comparable to the gluteus in humans.

鈥淗umans' are developed for walking or running, which obviously bats don鈥檛 do. Their bodies are built for flight,鈥� she said.

The light-boned bats are chiroptera, which translates to 鈥渉and wing鈥� 鈥� describing their essentially elongated fingers covered by a thin layer of skin to form wings. It allows for super agility and acrobatics in flight.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e the only mammals that are capable of true flight,鈥� Laposa-Wilde said.

Another image that routinely appears on social media feeds suggests the exhaustion a bat might feel hanging upside down for ages upon end. A human would need to contract muscles and quickly tire, but the bat's anatomy creates hooks, and the critters don鈥檛 need to even think about the act.

鈥淲hen they鈥檙e hibernating or sleeping, they have tendons in their feet that allow them to hang,鈥� Laposa-Wilde explained. 鈥淭he weight of their body pulls on that tendon and that鈥檚 how they can hang there.

Anatomy is just one intriguing aspect of the critters currently slipping out of hibernation in Greater Victoria and across B.C.

In other parts of the world, Laposa-Wilde explained, they pollinate plants 鈥� drinking nectar and moving from plant to plant such as banana, mango and agave.

鈥淵ou can thank bats for tequila,鈥� she said.

Locally, bats are insectivores 鈥� dinner includes the universally despised mosquito 鈥� devouring more than 1,000 a night. Plus the nitrogen-rich guano makes a great fertilizer.

With more than 1,400 species across the globe, B.C. boasts a diverse species count with 15 of Canada鈥檚 18 species 鈥� nine of those are on Vancouver Island. Right now, they鈥檙e emerging from hibernation in caves, trees and other crevices, with reports rolling in to Habitat Acquisition Trust of the creatures hanging about in some unusual places.

鈥淲e tell people it鈥檚 common right now, they鈥檙e leaving hibernation and making their way to summer roost sites,鈥� Laposa-Wilde said. That said, the agency is taking reports of sick or dead bats now through May 31 as it monitors for white nose syndrome. The fungus, devastating bat populations across North America, affects bats during hibernation. The white powder on their face and bodies causes them to wake during hibernation, using up valuable energy stores.

While white nose doesn鈥檛 affect humans, it鈥檚 still important not to come into contact with bats for a variety of reasons 鈥� with rabies likely top-of-mind.

Again, it's a case of context when finding information online; the deadly virus that does impact humans is present in less than one per cent of bats. Many online statistics, however, will show 13 to 15 per cent 鈥� based on testing of only dead bats.

鈥淏ats can have rabies, which is lower than one per cent, but because rabies is so serious, it鈥檚 important to treat every bat like they could have it,鈥� Laposa-Wilde said. 鈥淚f you come into contact with a bat, or suspect you鈥檝e come in with contact with a bat, it鈥檚 important to get help 鈥� that being said, bats don鈥檛 want to mess with people so they will avoid you at all costs.鈥�

Find a link for reporting sick or dead bats, or more information at .