The District of Columbia could get a 'state' mammal - and it's a bat

A small, brown endangered bat may be poised to become Washington D.C.'s "state" mammal. And they have three local Girl Scout troops to thank. This "mouse-eared microbat with two sets of teeth," as described by WTOP-TV, noshes on mosquitoes, flies, beetles and moths - up to 1,200 of them a night - at wetlands edges, for instance along the Anacostia and Potomac rivers.

What a group of bizarre-looking bats can tell us about the evolution of mammals

Bats with skulls and teeth adapted to a wide range of diets are helping scientists understand how major groups of mammals first evolved. By analysing the skulls of a group of bats that feed on everything from nectar to blood, researchers from the US and Imperial College London have identified how the bats have tweaked their development to adapt to different diets.

Tiny GPS backpacks uncover the secret life of desert bats

A new study from the University of Helsinki using miniaturized satellite-based tags revealed that during drier periods desert bats must fly further and longer to fulfil their nightly needs. According to researchers this signals their struggle in facing dry periods. Wildlife tracking has revolutionized the study of animal movement and their behavior.

Local bat colony used in statewide study of potential disease

BENTON, La. -- They are not one of the more common sightings you encounter in our area. Bats usually only come out at night and do not have a great number of dwellings close to homes in urban areas. But there is a biological concern that the bat population in Louisiana may come under attack from an unusual disease.

The manicure helping to save the rarest of bats

One of the world's rarest bats is now confined to a single cave in Western Cuba with less than 750 remaining, according to a population survey. Scientists are highlighting the plight of the animal, saying its last home is vulnerable to collapse. The Cuban greater funnel-eared bat was rediscovered in 1992 after being declared extinct.

A new spray may help treat the deadly white-nose syndrome

White-nose syndrome has killed millions and millions of bats since 2006, threatening to bring species to extinction. Fortunately, researchers have been developing some promising new treatments, such as spraying bats with an antifungal bacteria before they hibernate for the wintertime.

Every bat travels differently

The females of some bat species migrate hundreds of kilometers after hibernation to give birth to their offspring in insect-rich regions. Unlike birds, it is largely unknown how bats keep their energy consumption low during ...

Bats evolved diverse skull shapes due to echolocation, diet

Scientists have discovered that two major forces have shaped bat skulls over their evolutionary history: echolocation and diet. Their findings help explain the wide diversity of skull shapes among bats and reveal the intricate details of how evolutionary pressures can shape animal bodies.

A scientist used chalk in a box to show that bats use sunsets to migrate

When it comes to migration science, birds rule. Although many mammals - antelopes, whales, bats - migrate, too, scientists know far less about how those animals do it. But a new device, invented by animal navigation researcher Oliver Lindecke, could open a new way to test how far-ranging bats find their way.

The best places to observe wild bats in the United States * Earth.com

Of the flying animals, birds certainly get the most attention. People set out food and housing for the feathered denizens of the sky. Large non-profits and clubs are dedicated to watching birds for fun and to their conservation. It seems that bird research, conservation, and management are - compared to work with other organisms- relatively well funded.

What Evolutionary Secrets Can Long-lived Bats Tell Us?

Researchers analyzed an evolutionary tree reconstructed from the DNA of a majority of known bat species and found four bat lineages that exhibit extreme longevity. They also identified, for the first time, two life history features that predict extended life spans in bats.

Endangered long-tailed bats found in Rotorua reserve

Rotorua residents may be able to check out a threatened species of native bats while they stop by the supermarket, after a new discovery that bats are using urban areas in the city. Until about 10 years ago New Zealand's threatened long-tailed bat species were thought to stick to quiet areas of forest, and avoid humans and urban spaces.

One of the largest bat houses in the world may save an endangered Florida animal

MIAMI -- South Florida's expanding population is putting a strain on some the area's first residents -- the bonneted bats. Called one of the world's rarest bats, the animal is a federally endangered species that is unique to Florida. At night, it feeds on insects.

South Florida has one of the planet's rarest bats. Can a new bat house help save it?

Around the corner from the primate troops at Monkey Jungle, past shade houses, container nurseries and a pot farm perfectly suited for funky old Redland, another very Florida thing has been erected on the former country retreat of a Miami pioneer: the world's biggest bat house.

Endangered fruit bats 'being driven to extinction' in Mauritius

Scientists are suing the Mauritian government for "driving endangered fruit bats towards extinction", after mass culls killed at least half their population. More than 50,000 of the animals are thought to have been killed in three culls since 2015, in an attempt to protect fruit in orchards.

Britain's loneliest bat takes to the stage

It has spent 16 winters on its own. Now a playwright has turned one bat's sad story into a gay parable full of deceit and longing

Scientists discover Ebola virus in West African bat

The government of Liberia, in partnership with the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and EcoHealth Alliance, announced the discovery of Ebola virus in a bat in Liberia.

Dead Bats Are Changing People's Minds About This Energy Project

Editor's Note: "Coconut Wireless" is a new occasional series aimed at bridging gaps in what can sometimes feel like disparate and scattered neighborhoods across Oahu. Civil Beat special correspondent Kirstin Downey hopes to demonstrate that what seem to be isolated issues, problems, solutions and even just crazy stories are part of a bigger picture of how life is changing in Hawaii.

Researchers "Translate" Bat Talk. Turns Out, They Argue-A Lot

smithsonian.com Plenty of animals communicate with one another, at least in a general way-wolves howl to each other, birds sing and dance to attract mates and big cats mark their territory with urine. But researchers at Tel Aviv University recently discovered that when at least one species communicates, it gets very specific.

Scientists Discover a Sixth Species of Ebola Virus - in Bats

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species of Ebola virus, called Bombali virus, that's carried by at least two species of bats in Sierra Leone. This is the first Ebola virus species detected in an animal before having been detected in humans.