We’re Getting a New Quarter and I’m a Bit Creeped Out By It

There's a new quarter being released this year and it's representing the National Park of American Samoa, which if you're unfamiliar,

National Park of American Samoa is located some 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii and is one of the most remote in the U.S. National Park System. The site includes sections of three islands—Tutuila, Ta’ū, and Ofu. Almost all of the land area of these volcanic islands—from the mountaintops to the coast—is tropical rainforest. The park’s area totals 13,500 acres, 4,000 of which are underwater.

None of that scares me, it's what's on the back of the quarter.  A bat. More specifically, a "Samoan fruit bat mother hanging in a tree with her pup".   And that scares me because shortly after moving to Grand Rapids, a bat flew into my house at 11 pm one night and had me screaming like a little girl at Disney On Ice who didn't get Elsa's Snowflake Magic Wand. I ended up trapping on my screened-in porch and had someone come get it in the morning, but that night I locked the windows and back door, just in case he turned into a Cullen and wanted to come in.  Seriously, it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.

Now there will be a bat on some of my laundry money.

They chose the Samoan fruit bat to bring awareness to the species as they are endangered because of hunting and habitat loss. According to the US Mint, the national park is the only home to the Samoan fruit bat.

I'm glad the bat's on the new quarter, I just hope me having one in my pocket isn't like a calling card to real bats.  Yeah, maybe irrational, but I told you I'm scared of bats.