Halloween warning from California wildlife experts that will change the way you decorate

Think all Halloween decorations are the same? Think again.

Those creepy fake spider webs draped across your front porch could turn Halloween into a real-life horror show — trapping bats and other wildlife in sticky strands that can leave the creatures dead.

A Northern California bat expert is warning Halloween enthusiasts to ditch the artificial webbing, which can ensnare the winged mammals and leave them struggling to escape.

Corky Quirk, who runs bat rehabilitation organization NorCal Bats, said her group has already received two calls this year from homeowners who discovered bats tangled in their spooky decorations.

“She had the spider webbing in her mouth, wrapped around her wings. It was a mess,” Quirk told CBS News Sacramento.

One of the bats her group recovered actually died while the other is being rehabilitated.

Quirk said bats, who typically use echolocation to get around, do not always use it when hunting for insects and this is when the sticky material becomes a deadly trap.

“You might think, ‘It’s a bat, it can echolocate,’ but bats don’t always use echolocation. Sometimes they’re just going from point A to point B,” Quirk said.

“Because they’re looking for a grasshopper on the ground so these guys will get caught.”

And bats aren’t the only creatures at risk. Birds and dragonflies can also become ensnared in the artificial strands, wildlife experts warn.

“Unlike real spiderwebs, artificial webbing doesn’t break easily, meaning bats and birds are easily tangled up in the strands where they risk starvation or weather exposure,” according to a message on the Bat Conservation International website.

Health officials warn that if you do find a bat stuck in your Halloween decorations or anywhere do not touch them and contact wildlife agencies or organizations, as bats have been known to carry rabies.

California has reported 320 rabid bat cases statewide this year, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Rabies is spread through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly through bites, though exposure can also occur if saliva enters the eyes, mouth or an open wound.

Once symptoms appear — including fever, confusion, agitation and difficulty swallowing — rabies is almost always fatal. However, prompt medical care and post-exposure treatment can prevent the disease from developing.

Anyone bitten by a wild animal should seek medical attention immediately and report the incident to public health officials.