How are bats likely rabies vectors, but other small mammals like squirrels and rats aren’t?

Question

I was told that small mammals like squirrels aren’t considered likely rabies vectors because they’d just die if they were bitten by a rabid animal. (Someone I knew was bitten by a squirrel in NY and told not to worry about getting rabies shots because of the above mentioned reason). Bats are significantly smaller and more fragile than a squirrel or a rat, but are known rabies vectors and online information about bats advise at least calling local health authorities about potential rabies exposure if you find a bat in your house and can’t catch it to be tested.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Bats have a more resilient immune system, compared to other mammals. They can be, and often are, infected with the rabies virus without being harmed by it, while others wind up going rabid which is a lot easier to detect. The fragility of the body has nothing to do with how the rest of its systems function.