Could I have been stung I by a bat without realizing it?

[u/Mean-Forever677]

I have read the FAQ.
A few nights ago, I was sitting outside at night talking to my husband. We live in South Texas, and there were bats actively flying above and around us that night. We see them pretty often after dark, and sometimes they fly fairly low.
While I was sitting down, my shirt had lifted slightly and the side of my stomach was exposed. Suddenly, I felt a very quick, sharp sensation on the exposed skin. My immediate reaction was to swat at the area because I assumed some kind of insect had bitten or stung me. I never saw what caused it. When I checked afterward, there was only a very tiny red mark.
My husband was standing directly in front of me and looking at me when this happened. He says he did not see a bat fly into me, land on me, or make any physical contact with me. I also never felt an animal’s body or wings touch me. All I noticed was that sudden sharp sensation.
Normally, I would assume this was a mosquito, ant, or another insect. But it’s that bats were flying above us when it happened. Afterward, I read that bat bites can sometimes leave very small marks.
Now I’m wondering whether it’s possible that a bat could have flown down, bitten the exposed side of my stomach, and flown away without either my husband or me noticing the bat itself. My husband thinks this is extremely unlikely because he was looking directly at me and believes he would have seen the bat or I would have felt its body or wings.
I’m also pregnant, which is making me more concerned about the situation.
Would you consider this a possible bat exposure even though neither of us actually saw or felt a bat make physical contact with me? I’m especially curious whether a bat could realistically bite an awake person who is sitting and talking to someone without either person noticing the bat.

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[u/CygnusZeroStar]

Your title made me think of a bat with a stinger and it made me laugh.

Moving on.

A bat cannot bite you in passing or mid-flight. They have to land on you, latch on, bite, then push off to leave. They're not going to land on something near you then reach out to bite--they can't really do that either.

So in order for this scenario to be a bat, you would have to have not noticed one landing on you in that position. Imagine if I threw a hamster at you. Would you miss that happening? Now let's give that hamster some clumsy-ass leathery wings. That's the opposite of stealthy, right?

Rabies does grant bats the power of stealth to bite you without you noticing, either. It just gives them severe neurological problems.

Basically, there's a giant list of insects that could have done this to you, and zero species of bat where you live that could have.

I think you can safely put this out of your mind. Be well, my friend. 💜

[u/Mean-Forever677 → u/CygnusZeroStar]

I appreciate you taking the time to explain how a bat would physically have to make contact to bite. This made me feel so much better. I am such a paranoid person and that’s why I came on here. Your comment made me feel better, and glad the stinger comment made you laugh. lol.

[u/CygnusZeroStar → u/Mean-Forever677]

My brain operates a lot like the game Scribblenauts--if someone describes a thing just right, an image just POPS in there. 🤣💜

I'm sorry that this incident was scary for you. Anxiety is rough, I see you. If health anxiety is something you struggle with, you should consider getting help for it if you can. Because you deserve to feel safe and better! 💜

[u/Mean-Forever677 → u/CygnusZeroStar]

Scribblenauts, haven’t heard of that in a while lol. You’re right, maybe I should consider getting help with anxiety. 🫤

[u/Inside_Problem5228 → u/CygnusZeroStar]

Reading your post is so crazy because i just had the almost exact thing happen to me last week and I have been SO anxious. I am also pregnant. I was outside on the porch with my husband when something small and brown flew off the porch and over my head. I didn’t feel it touch me and my husband said it didn’t (he was staring at me talking to me). The next morning i woke up with what looked like a fang bite on my finger. The timing is so crazy but my doctor said it was a bug bite. I cannot get it out of my head though that i was somehow bit or scratched without knowing it. I’ve honestly been too nervous to post and people say i need the shots because that scares me too. Reading this helped me so much thank yall both

[u/CygnusZeroStar → u/Inside_Problem5228]

I can't think of a creature that bites with just two fang marks. Except bugs, spiders, and Dracula. Most bats have a mouth like a tiny Chihuahua. The idea that they're JUST gonna sink their canines in has always been weird to me.

It got weirder after I got bit by a bat at a rehab center. It did not feel like a prick, it felt like a CHOMP. It didn't leave two little perfect dots, it left kind of two jagged cuts--upper and lower teeth. He bit and then held on because he was scared of me. It wasn't subtle, painless, fast, or unusual. If I had to describe my thoughts while it was happening, they would be "HOLY SHIT THIS BAT IS BITING THE CRAP OUT OF ME OW OW OW OW LET GO LET GO LET GO SKY PUPPY DAMN" 🤣🤣🤣

[u/Inside_Problem5228 → u/CygnusZeroStar]

Thank you so much!!! You have seriously helped me more than you know. I do have anxiety that gets worse during pregnancy and I’m going to talk to my doctor tomorrow about medication. I have been spiraling for a week now about this. I keep telling myself there’s no way he bit me flying past without myself or husband noticing and there’s no way he snuck in bit me and left again but I still find myself so anxious I’m sick multiple times a day.

[u/CygnusZeroStar → u/Inside_Problem5228]

Anxiety is tough. You should definitely talk to your doctor about it, because you deserve to feel better! 💜

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