Methods for Bat Conservation

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Bats have accidents, too. Some also get hooked up on thoughtlessly discarded fishing line hanging from trees.
Bats have accidents, too. Some also get hooked up on thoughtlessly discarded fishing line hanging from trees.
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Bat roosting boxes can be of different designs to suit different species.
Bat roosting boxes can be of different designs to suit different species.
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This purpose-made bat brick in the roof of a hibernaculum is being used by two brown long-eared bats, Plecotus auritus, and a Natterer’s bat, Myotis nattereri.
This purpose-made bat brick in the roof of a hibernaculum is being used by two brown long-eared bats, Plecotus auritus, and a Natterer’s bat, Myotis nattereri.
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Improving a hibernaculum by reducing the flow of air through a disused railway tunnel.
Improving a hibernaculum by reducing the flow of air through a disused railway tunnel.
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Grilles like this allow bats access into underground sites, but exclude humans.
Grilles like this allow bats access into underground sites, but exclude humans.
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“Bats” by Phil Richardson describes the amazing and bizarre world of bats.
“Bats” by Phil Richardson describes the amazing and bizarre world of bats.

Bats (Firefly Books, 2011) by Phil Richardson helps to show readers the truth about bats. While bats get a bad name for their connection to mythical vampires and their nocturnal habits, Richardson shines light onto the species and shows that’s bats are amazing and complex creatures for various reasons. The following excerpt is information about bat conservation.

Bats are under threat in many areas of the world. Some have declined to such an extent that the numbers remaining may not be enough to sustain the species. Some species, such as the Guam flying fox, Pteropus tokudae, the Puerto Rican flower bat, Phyllonycteris major, and the New Zealand greater short-tailed bat, Mystacina robusta, have become extinct in recent times. Species most at risk are those living in isolation and those living at low densities; any changes to their environment could wipe out the species. Some fruit bats on isolated Pacific and Indian Ocean islands, such as the Comoro black flying fox, Pteropus livingstonii, and the Marianas flying fox, Pteropus mariannus, are at great risk of extinction. Some microbats living in one small area are also threatened such as the Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, Craseonycteris thonglongyai, on the Thai-Burmese border.

Biodiversity and Food Chains

Threats to bat populations matters not just because bats are fascinating creatures in their own right. Our increasing familiarity with the term biodiversity from television, newspapers, magazines and other media reflects the importance biologists place on this aspect of conservation. They are realizing that the more diversity there is in animal and plant populations, then the healthier is the environment.

The easiest way to appreciate what is involved is to recall the concept of food chains and webs from biology lessons at school. It all starts with the producers, the plants that manufacture the food in their leaves by photosynthesis. Animals such as caterpillars then join the chain and eat the leaves, other animals such as birds eat the caterpillars, and so on up the chain. If a species dies out, then there is a break in the chain, and predators that relied on that species could also die or grow weaker as there is less food available. If, like the microbats, an animal is at the end of the food chain and it becomes extinct, then the creatures that it preyed upon will increase in number and compete with others for food and space, so upsetting other food chains.

  • Published on Apr 20, 2018
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