KINGSTON — On a dark night, that could very possibly be stormy, the mysteries of a few special local residents will be unveiled to the public. Not much is known about them, they only come out at night, and many myths have grown to supplement their cryptic lives.

Wildlife biologist Dan Hannafious hopes to put all those myths to rest during his talk about the ever elusive Chiroptera, also known as the bat, on Nov. 8 at the annual Friends of Miller Bay meeting.

“I studied wildlife science in school,” Hannafious said. “There was a lot of mammal stuff that we know about already, but about bats, not so much. It was all very mysterious.”

Intrigued by the mystery, he delved into different groups devoted to the bat, and learned a lot about the species. Now, he wants to pass that information along, especially to North Kitsap residents. Washington alone is home to about 15 species of bats, many of which live in this region, Hannafious said.

“We are having this talk because bats are fun,” said Friends of Miller Bay member Niki Quester. “Also a lot of the bat habitats are endangered. People need to know about bats so they don’t destroy their habitats.”

Friends of Miller Bay has been working to protect the Cowling Creek wildlife preserve, and educating the public about bats is a part of that, she said. Bats are an important part of the North End’s ecosystem, but not much is known about them, Hannafious said.

“Bats are major predators of mosquitoes and also major pollinator,” Quester said. “They are very good for our environments, and people need to know more about them.”

Hannafious likens bats to birds, in that they have similar habits. They migrate for the winter, looking for warmer areas to wait out the colder months of the year. In the summer, they inhabit anything available, including attics and bat houses.

“’Bats’ will be an entertaining and informative presentation for our meeting,” said Friends of Miller Bay president Dick D’Archangel. “They are important to our environment. They indicate a good, healthy environment.”

Hannafious will also discuss methods of ridding houses of bats for those who find them less fascinating — or those who have close encounters with them.

For example, one summer, D’Archangel had bats flying down his wood stove chimney and getting stuck in the fireplace. Hannafious, who had bats fly into his open window one summer, will discuss methods to usher them out of homes without damage or much disruption.