Bat Week officially begins today. It’s the one week where Earth’s only winged mammals get top billing. Often associated with disease, vampires, and other generally unpleasant things, bats are actually important pollinators and play critical roles in our ecosystem. “They’re just so cool and so interesting. During first forays into bat studies, it was just
Environmental restoration sometimes requires out-of-the-box thinking. Along the waters of Long Island Sound in New York and Connecticut, experts are tackling the challenge of restoring crucial eelgrass habitats by gluing the plant’s seeds to clams. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is an important member of the ecosystem. It provides foraging areas and shelter for young fish and
For 13 years, photographer Imre Potyó has ventured into restricted-access mine tunnels in the Börzsöny Mountains of Hungary to capture images of hibernating lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). Despite their deep slumber, the bats occasionally wake to hunt insects that enter the dark caves. “In doing so, the bat leaves behind droppings that gradually accumulate
California is known for its giant, multi-laned highways bustling under bright blue skies. And while this infrastructure is useful to humans, the Golden State’s many highways represent an almost impenetrable barrier for wildlife. Soon, habitats on either side of the 10-laned 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, California will be reconnected thanks to the world’s largest
Fall is here, and with it comes very determined deer. Mating season for the hoofed ruminants typically begins once temperatures dive and the days grow shorter, but the annual event also poses problems for humans. The deer have one thing on their mind, which means they pay even less attention to vehicles and roadways. In
A single bat colony contains hundreds or even thousands of the winged mammals. But with less-than-ideal eyesight and so many neighbors, how do mothers identify their pups amid the extremely crowded conditions? Writing in a new study published today in the journal Frontiers in Ethology, researchers say it often comes down to the subtle, unique