A bat previously believed extinct is now back from the dead. Researchers announced March 8 that they had spotted Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) for the first time in 40 years. “Rediscovering Hill’s horseshoe bat was incredible – it’s astonishing to think that we’re the first people to see this bat in so long,” Bat […]
By Georgina Kenyon Earlier this year, the term “bat tornado” started appearing in the Australian and international media. It all started with a BBC report from the town of Ingham in the northeastern state of Queensland, where the population of flying fox bats had apparently “exploded” over the last two years, leaving residents fed up […]
By Tara Lohan As we work to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are also studying its origins. How did the SARS-Co-V-2 virus, which causes the disease, jump from wildlife to humans? Many believe it originated in horseshoe bats (from the genus Rhinolophus), which are known hosts of other coronaviruses. “Whether or not […]
A deadly fungal disease responsible for the deaths of millions of bats across the U.S. has been confirmed in Texas for the first time. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease in bats caused by a cold-loving fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which infects the skin on the muzzle, ear and wings of hibernating bats. Infected […]
By Alexa Peters October is a time for bats. As the crisp fall air descends, plastic bats swing from trees and confectioners make treats in their little winged shapes. The little spooky creatures even have an entire week leading up to Halloween dedicated to them: International Bat Week. Yet they remain largely misunderstood. Truth be […]
What has leathery wings and needle-sharp teeth, feeds at night, and drinks blood? Vampire bats! “What people are most concerned about with vampire bats is them feeding on livestock and then passing rabies virus,” says bat ecologist Mark Hayes. Using climate data and records of bat sightings, he worked with USDA researchers to model where […]
By Stacey McKenna I’m sitting on a ridge at 9,000 feet, overlooking the world’s largest alpine valley. The mid-June sun drops behind a nearby cliff band and the clouds shift, leaving errant rays of light shimmering in the passing agricultural vehicles’ dust trails. Behind me, a fence blocks access to a yawning hole—the entrance to […]
The lesser long-nosed bat made bat history Tuesday when it became the first U.S. bat species to be removed from the endangered species list because of recovery, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced. The bat, which is one of only three nectar-feeding bat species in the U.S., migrates between Mexico and the southwestern […]
By John R. Platt It’s Friday evening in Pittsburgh, and the mosquitoes are out in force. One bites at my arm and I try to slap it away. Another takes the opportunity to land on my neck. I manage to shoo this one off before it tastes blood. I’m at Carrie Furnaces, a massive historic […]
573k 
238k 
37k 
Subscribe 
