10/30/2026
HAPPY HOWL-O-WEEN!
The article below is a great read and very informative about Bats!
Going to bat for bats
Nothing symbolizes Halloween like bats. Bats fascinate and scare us. They're creatures of the night; they're the only mammal that truly flies; they co-exist with a virus that kills other mammals; let's be honest, some have a face only a mother could love; and they are the stuff of terrifying folklore and legend. Bats also pollinate flowers and crops and eat pests, providing billions of dollars worth of ecosystem services every year. They feast on mosquitoes, some of which also carry deadly pathogens. Bats are also widely misunderstood, and they're in trouble. So we're dedicating this special Halloween issue to incredibly intriguing, somewhat scary bats.
Veterinary Medicine Update
Wait, what? Bats get a whole week of their own?
It's not only Halloween week; it's also National Bat Week, an event intended to dispel myths about bats and raise awareness about how much we need bats and, now, how much they need us. The fungal disease white-nose syndrome has devastated bat populations in the US and Canada, but habitat loss, overuse of pesticides and climate change also threaten bats' survival.
Full Story: Iowa State Daily (Iowa State University) (10/25)
Bats contribute billions of dollars in value to agriculture
Connecticut is home to nine bat species, many of which are endangered or threatened. "Bats are both an iconic symbol of Halloween and a critical part of the Connecticut ecosystem," says acting state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Emma Cimino. According to the DEEP: A single little brown bat can eat 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour, and bats contribute an estimated $3 billion or more each year to the US agriculture sector.
Full Story: The Hartford Courant (Conn.) (10/26)
Little brown bats may be evolving genetic resistance to white-nose syndrome
The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome thrives in the cool, moist environment of caves where bats hibernate, and it wakes up hibernating bats, causing them to deplete fat stores and starve to death, says wildlife conservation biologist Giorgia Auteri. Little brown bat populations in the US have been devastated, but some bats survived, and scientists have found genetic differences in those survivors that may have enabled them to withstand white-nose syndrome. The findings offer hope for conservation of the species.
Full Story: National Public Radio (10/5)
Viral adaptations may help bats resist cancer and aging
Research published in Nature suggests that bats' ability to tolerate viruses may have contributed to their long lifespans and cancer resistance. Bats' adaptation to viruses appears to have influenced gene variation and function related to DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and cell death. Many of the genes identified are also shared by humans and other mammals, and the findings could have translational impacts.
Full Story: The Scientist (10/19)
Researchers survey bats in Southeastern N.C.
Researchers and volunteers recently conducted a bat survey in southeastern North Carolina, capturing and studying bats to assess their health and population. The region's habitat makes it a stronghold for bats, despite habitat loss and environmental degradation. White-nose syndrome has not yet become a significant issue in the coastal plain, as it has in other parts of the US. "Bats are cool, really cool," said Lisa Gatens, collection manager in mammalogy at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. "From pollinating to eating lots of insects, they are just good for us and good for the environment."
Full Story: Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) (10/1)
How Michigan is working to save bats
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is working with universities, the federal government, tribal groups, conservation groups and mine owners to protect the state's bat population. Projects include installing gates at mine entrances to keep people from disturbing hibernating bats, testing ultraviolet light to kill the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome and ventilating abandoned mines to prevent fungal growth. The DNR says people can help bats by staying out of caves and mines during hibernation season, installing bat boxes, planting bat-friendly gardens and participating in conservation and monitoring programs.
Full Story: The Daily News (Iron Mountain, Mich.)/Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (10/27)
Wind turbines are a significant cause of bat mortality, but there are ways to change that
An estimated 1.5 million bats in the US are killed each year by wind turbines, with hoary bats and eastern red bats among the most affected. Researchers aren't sure exactly what attracts bats to wind turbines, but they have identified ways to protect bats without sacrificing an important source of renewable energy. Researchers say changing wind turbine placement, operations and designs could prevent bat fatalities.
Full Story: New Scientist (10/26)
Easy ways to give bats a helping hand
Tree box for bats in the forest
(Bryony Van Der Merwe/Getty Images)
Repeated heat waves, intense storms and drought threaten the survival of bats, including 16 species in Georgia, but there are ways we can protect them. Installing certified bat houses, reducing pesticide use, planting native gardens, protecting water sources, leaving dead trees where possible and minimizing outdoor lighting at night can support bat populations.
Full Story: The Augusta Chronicle (Ga.) (tiered subscription model) (10/1)
Don't want bats in your house? Give them one of their own
WCAX-TV (Burlington, Vt.) (10/27)
Animal News
7 reasons to be batty about bats
FACE, Plecotus Austriacus
Bats live on every continent except Antarctica
Some bats are super-agers for their size
A protein in vampire bats' saliva might be the basis for a stroke treatment
There are more bat species than any other mammal except rodents
Frog-eating bats are smart enough to know when their prey is most vulnerable by listening for mating calls
Bats likely originated in Europe and spread throughout the world
Some bat species have unique scents
Vampire bats will sacrifice a meal to feed their hungry colony mates
Full Story: Scientific American (10/28)
Bat mothers recognize pups' calls, study shows
Mother bats can recognize their offspring's unique vocalizations, even as adults, according to a study in Frontiers in Ethology. Researchers monitored Japanese house bats and found that mothers' heart rates increased significantly when they heard their own pups' cries. The reaction to random adult male bats was equally strong, suggesting those calls could be interpreted as a threat. The findings suggest that heart rate measurements could be a useful tool for analyzing bat behavior.
Full Story: Popular Science (10/23)
