Must be possible to clean and sterilise the container.
Possible housing to use includes plastic pet containers and reptariums.
For short-term care small plastic faunariums are the most readily available, secure and easy to clean.
Needs to be escape proof.
Choices for roosting/natural behaviour should be considered – especially for long-term and permanent captives.
Plastic/glass cages may need lining to allow bats to grip better.
The container should have dark areas where the bat can conceal itself and should have materials (for example,
cloth) from which the bat can hang.
If housing more than one bat in the same container there should be provision for private areas such as individual pouches so that each bat can have their own space. (See Health and Safety>Isolation and Care and Conditions>Long-term/permanent captives for more information about keeping bats together).
Housing – size considerations
As a general rule the size of the cage should be twice the length of the bat’s wingspan. Recommended size of 40 x 25 x 25cm for a small bat species and 46 x 30 x17cm for a large bat species.
Considerations:
Does the bat have access to additional space, for example, flight cages?
Would the bat’s recovery process benefit from a larger/smaller sized cage? For example for some wing injuries a smaller cage to restrict movement to wing stretches only may be beneficial.
A bat should be able to fully stretch its wings,
Is the cage for transportation, short-term care, long-term care, etc?
A rehabilitator should aim for the largest available space for longer-term captives so that they have the space and the option to fly if possible.
The containers used to house bats will depend upon:
The available resources of the rehabilitator,
The needs of the individual bat,
The additional space available to the bat.
A rehabilitator should be able to justify the conditions in which the bat is being kept.
The bat’s cage requirements should be assessed on a daily basis.