bats

‘Lost’ Bat Rediscovered After 40 Years

‘Lost’ Bat Rediscovered After 40 Years

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 […]

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    Flying Foxes: Australia’s Love-Hate Relationship With Fruit Bats

    Flying Foxes: Australia’s Love-Hate Relationship With Fruit Bats

    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 […]

    Speak Up for Bats — Even in the Pandemic

    Speak Up for Bats — Even in the Pandemic

    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 […]

    Eek! Bat Populations Are Shrinking. Here Are A Few Ways to Help

    Eek! Bat Populations Are Shrinking. Here Are A Few Ways to Help

    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 […]

    Vampire Bats Could Expand Their Range into U.S. as Climate Warms

    Vampire Bats Could Expand Their Range into U.S. as Climate Warms

    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 […]

    First Bat Removed From U.S. Endangered Species List Helps Produce Tequila

    First Bat Removed From U.S. Endangered Species List Helps Produce Tequila

    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 […]

    Why Are America’s Bats Disappearing?

    Why Are America’s Bats Disappearing?

    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 […]