# Do bats poop while hanging upside-down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265 "2002-12-12T16:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/1 "2002-12-12T16:40:43Z")
If so, does it run down their back and soil their fur?? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/2 "2002-12-12T17:36:16Z")
I believe that most bats adjust their posture in order to avoid soiling themselves while hanging. From [this site](http://www.ethograms.org/FRMS/menus/batsmenu/malayanfbat.htm) on the Malayan False Vampire Bat: > [@](#): > > Urination: Bats have been observed urinating while in two different postures: > > Tilted-away urinating: The bat hangs pendant by two feet. The wings are held partially abducted with the digits extended. The palmar surface of each wing is approximately parallel with the frontal plane. The bat “bends back” at the hips so that the genital region is foremost. Once in this position, the bat urinates. This position appears to prevent urine from contacting the bat’s fur. > > Rotary-shake urinating: The bat hangs pendant from two feet while the wings are in a folded position at the bat’s side or slightly abducted. The long axis of the body is directly beneath and continuous with the long axis of the legs. As the urine is released, the bat rapidly (too fast to be observed as individual movements) rotates laterally about its long axis through an arc of about 45 degrees to either side of its saggital plane. During this movement, the legs are stationary. The effect is to spray most urine out and away (at least 1.5 m) from the bat, but some urine may also partially cover the batís fur. > > Defecation: M.spasma defecates while in the “tilted-away” posture. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/3 "2002-12-12T17:55:35Z")
It’s probably what blinds 'em. ---
**Author:** ![arachnidlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@arachnidlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arachnidlove)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/4 "2002-12-12T18:05:23Z")
I have a video that shows the bats pooping. I think its Predators of the Wild. Anyhoo…They poop upside down and it kind of shoots out away from them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/5 "2002-12-12T18:25:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by arachnidlove \* > \*\*I have a video that shows the bats pooping. I think its Predators of the Wild. Anyhoo…They poop upside down and it kind of shoots out away from them. \*\* AKA projectile defecation. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/6 "2002-12-12T19:14:42Z")
Bats must be a laugh-riot at parties. What fraternity do they belong to, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/7 "2002-12-12T20:42:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*Bats must be a laugh-riot at parties. > > What fraternity do they belong to, anyway? \*\* Quite so. Another bat behavior mentioned on the site I linked to: > [@](#): > > Penile waving: The male lands about 10 cm from a female, his ventral surfaces facing hers. He extends his erect penis toward the female by holding his pelvic region forward. His wings are fully extended, with the leading edge of the wing approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the body. The two wings are flapped forward and back simultaneously and in the same direction, in an arc of about 45 degrees. At the same time, the penis is ‘waved’ side-to-side in a narrow arc for about 5-8 s. As the wings are moved, the male may take several steps toward the female. However, the pair was never observed to subsequently make contact. Vocalizations were not detected during penile waving. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/8 "2002-12-12T21:14:19Z")
One of my professors used to have a saying when he was really impressed with something: “neater than batshit”, he would often remark. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/9 "2002-12-12T21:28:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > \*\*One of my professors used to have a saying when he was really impressed with something: “neater than batshit”, he would often remark. \*\* My favorite is “slicker than snakeshit.” ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/10 "2002-12-12T22:12:50Z")
I really am amazed that you guys found so much relevant info on this topic. Some serious searching skills on this site. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/11 "2002-12-13T00:57:17Z")
- - - Heck, I might be able to get you _photos_ of bats pooping if it was during the summer months. I only say “might” because the bats whre I live are very small, sorta like mice with wings. ~ ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/12 "2002-12-13T01:10:50Z")
I can send you batshit if you like. Well, if customs would let me 😉 We live under the flightpath of a bat colony. It’s truly spectacular when they fly over every night. They certainly poop while flying and the poop can strip paint off cars. It’s got this amazing plasticky texture and when it lands in the swimming pool, it’s pretty hard to remove. The smell of the colony is quite phenomenal too. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@Tony\_Barber\_s\_Underwear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Barber_s_Underwear)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/13 "2002-12-13T04:02:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Primaflora \* > \*\*We live under the flightpath of a bat colony. It’s truly spectacular when they fly over every night. They certainly poop while flying and the poop can strip paint off cars. It’s got this amazing plasticky texture and when it lands in the swimming pool, it’s pretty hard to remove. The smell of the colony is quite phenomenal too. \*\* I presume that you are talking about fruitbats, **Primaflora**. Do you know whether lyssavirus can be contracted through contact with their crap? We have quite a few of them around here at Red Hill, and they make a fair bit of noise, and manage to crap everywhere, to. - Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/14 "2002-12-14T11:49:25Z")
Red Hill? I used to live at Kelvin Grove and we had a few there but nothing like what we’ve got here at Logan. Do a search on lyssavirus and fruitbats and it’s interesting. It seems to me that you can catch it but it is rare. You seem to need to handle them directly. Cool new username BTW ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/15 "2002-12-14T11:55:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*Bats must be a laugh-riot at parties. > \*\* And so indeed,… > [@](#): > > _originally posted by arachnidlove_ > **I have a video that shows the bats pooping.** … must he. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/16 "2002-12-14T12:09:34Z")
**Tony Barber’s** freakin **Underwear**. That is some awesome name. Batshit and metallic Commodore paint definitely don’t mix. Leave it more that a day or so, and well, shit. Anyone want a Commodore with (ahem) a few _minor_ paint defects? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/17 "2002-12-14T12:28:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > **Tony Barber’s freakin Underwear. That is some awesome name.** My bloody word it is. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/18 "2002-12-14T12:30:02Z")
I dare not ask, acksherly. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/19 "2002-12-19T11:33:42Z")
I don’t think it’s a great username. I think it is sick. Just sick. Sick, sick sick. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265/20 "2002-12-19T12:13:03Z")
Is there some point to that **Princhester**? A complaint? A witty remark delayed by 5 days? I don’t get it. Please explain. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-bats-poop-while-hanging-upside-down/142265.md?page=2)