Gotham City

Michigan Bat.

Gotham City has many meanings....

In England, "Gotham"-a homestead where goats are kept.

In Australia,  "Gotham City"-a 6-star brothel in Melbourne.

In America, "Gotham City"-a nickname for NYC

From 1939 forward, the most prominent definition is the fictional historical term, "Gotham City"-the home of Batman. 

No, it's not the crime, the dark nights or the cold. It's not the gangs or corruption, (at least I hope not) or the many business men who look eerily similar to Bruce Wayne. 

It is the Gotham bat signal in the sky. 

Here in Brisbane, it is literal. 

Not a giant spotlight, rather literal bats that litter the sky on a nightly basis. These are not just any old bat. These are megabats. (I'm not making that term up either) Gigantic, megabats with wingspans measuring over three feet! Wikipedia said they run around 4.9 feet, and because we all know that is always a reliable source, let's go with that! Either way, 3-4.9 feet of bat wing earns it's title of 'megabat.' 

um, hello! Is this a freakin' creature from Jurassic Park? 

I'm not afraid of bats, I think they're cute actually. Maybe it's the many memories of the annual 'bat-in-the-cabin' routine with my grandparent's cabin in Ontario. We would all try to get it out. Some of us were brutal, using badminton rackets, convincing us all we would wither and die from rabies if it wasn't destroyed immediately. Some of us were more environmental, trying to lure it out the door with kind words. Some of us were in-between and tried to capture it in a box or bag to let it fly free. It very, very much looked like the Dwight Shrute bat run-in from 'The Office.'  hehe

Watch the clip here.

 It was always fun, lots of screams and laughter and helmets and coats found from the 1600s when the cabin was probably built. So, yes, I think bats are cute.

Is it ok to say maybe 'megabats' don't fall into the 'cute bat' category? Alright, so they're not ugly, they just appear to be fictional characters to me and I don't really know what category to place them in. 

I will admit Australia does seem to be the land of fictional characters anyway, I mean, have you seen a platypus? 

Australian Bat. 

So where do these giant bats that look like dogs or foxes or rodents with wings go during the day? I actually don't have a clue. They eat fruit and nectar, which is not quite so intimidating, although, at that massive size, I was really hoping they would feast on the poisonous giant spiders roaming around that make goose-bumps rise on my neck every time I think of them. (shudder) It's quite another world, driving down the highway at dusk, or even sitting on our balcony, they come swarming. Think 'Ace Ventura' but on a nightly basis. Giant winged creatures come swarming in the night, is that not the strangest thing ever? 

Clip.

Maybe it's not strange at all, maybe it's totally normal, I'm comparing it to itty-bitty bats in Michigan where you might see one or two. So it's all new to me! 

Here is a more realistic video of what we experience nightly. It's taken in Sydney, but it looks identical to Brisbane's 'night life.' 

What they really look like.

Here's my illustration of a 'cute bat' and the real picture of what is swarming my head at night. At least we know we'll always have a superhero not far off if we're in trouble!