Question

A student finds a bat sleeping on the ground outside the school and asks to bring it inside to show the class. The teacher should deny this request and caution everyone to stay away from the bat because bats are

A) Harmless and can be safely handled.
B) Potentially carriers of rabies and should not be handled.
C) Endangered species and should not be disturbed.
D) Protected wildlife, and it is illegal to handle them.

Answer 1

The teacher should caution against bringing the bat inside because bats can carry rabies and other diseases like white-nose syndrome, which is harmful both to humans and to endangered bat populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The teacher should deny the request to bring the bat inside and caution everyone to stay away from the bat. Bats can be carriers of diseases, such as rabies, and should not be handled without proper training and equipment. One particular disease affecting bats is white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection that has severely impacted bat populations, including some endangered species. Handling bats not only poses a risk to human health but also to the fragile state of bat populations.