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FILLING THE VOID PROTECTING AUSTRALIA’S HOW SCIENTISTS LEARN IN BAT CONSERVATION WORLDWIDE BATS BY THE SEA WHEN GOOD IDEAS DON’T WORK

WWW.BATCO N.ORG SPRING 2011

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THE MEMO from our EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

at Conservation International has meat; Bats and Human Conflict, such as bats in been protecting bats and their habi- buildings or bats eating fruit crops; Habitat Loss tats around the globe since 1982. As and Fragmentation; Disease, such as White-nose Bwe approach our 30th anniversary, Syndrome that impacts bats, as well as diseases and also celebrate the International that affect humans and can be carried by bats; -In Year of the Bat, we are very proud of vasive Species; and Climate Change. all that we have accomplished over A great many geographical areas desperately these past three decades. But we must need attention for bat conservation. The experts also take a hard look at the tremen - advise that we focus on areas with high bat di - dous needs that remain in order to versity, plus existing networks of bat biologists conserve the world’s bats and the and bat-conservation organizations. In these ecosystems they serve so well. places, Bat Conservation International can help Dr. Paul Racey, one of BCI’s Sci- build capacity and resources, while local groups ence Advisors, summarizes the his - and individuals retain ownership of the effort tory of worldwide bat conservation and handle most on-the-ground work. Latin in his article, “Decades of Progress,” America and Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, in this issue. All of us who work on behalf of bats or who sup- typically have the diversity and the networks. And BCI has been port bat conservation through memberships to BCI and other engaged in conservation efforts in these regions for years, mak- bat groups can celebrate our accomplishments to date. Yet, as ing them logical choices for expanded work. Other regions, you will read in Dr. Racey’s other article, “Filling the Void: such as Africa, have few conservation networks in place, but the The Global Challenges Facing Bat Conservation,” there is urgency of their needs may demand our engagement. much left to be done. Many of the threats that have long We are, of course, working with many colleagues and part- plagued bats still remain: human ignorance and persecution, ners in the United States and abroad as we expand our global heedless exploitation and increasing loss of habitat. And there programs. For example, funding from the U.S. Forest Service are new threats, as well, especially White-nose Syndrome, Wings Across the Americas program is allowing BCI to work which has killed more than a million bats, and the host of haz- with local groups in organizing a bat-training workshop in ards associated with global climate change. Colombia during this coming summer. And I am looking At this critical juncture, BCI is renewing and enhancing its forward to connecting with European colleagues when I present commitment to reduce the threats to bats and conserve their a lecture on White-nose Syndrome at the National Bat Con - populations throughout the world. We are working to increase ference in England in the fall. At the same time, we are striving our global outreach by expanding our most successful efforts to reinforce our own staffing and funding capacity to support in the United States and internationally into additional coun- urgently needed growth in our programs. tries and regions. To move forward strategically, we have been Meeting the challenges of the future will require partner - working for the past year with our Science Advisors, our Board ships and collaborations, increased funding from foundations, of Trustees and our program staff to rank the areas and issues governments and individuals, and renewed and dedicated ef - of greatest need and to assess how BCI can be most effective forts by all of us who work to conserve bats. And we should in helping to meet these challenges. not forget one of the simplest but most important actions we With input from bat researchers around the world, we have can all take: teaching others about the importance of bats. identified six conservation themes that demand the greatest at- Share this issue of BATS magazine with a friend, leave it at tention. These are: Anthropogenic (human-caused) Mortality, your dentist’s office or wherever people gather. including such issues as wind energy (in which BCI has long Our combined efforts will make a real difference to the taken the lead), colony harassment and hunting bats for bush- future of bat conservation.

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Volume 29, No. 1, SPRING 2011 P.O. Box 162603, Austin, Texas 78716 BATS (512) 327-9721 • Fax (512) 327-9724

FEATURES Publications Staff Director of Publications: Robert Locke Photo Editor: Meera Banta The Memo Graphic Artist: Jason Huerta Copyeditors: Angela England, Valerie Locke

2 FILLING THE VOID BATS welcomes queries from writers. Send your article proposal with a brief outline and a description of any photos to: The global challenges facing bat conservation [email protected].

by Paul Racey Members: Please send changes of address and all cor res- pondence to the address above or via email to members@bat- con.org. Please include your label, if possible, and allow six 7 BATS BY THE SEA weeks for the change of address. Protecting Australia’s coastal sheath-tailed bat Founder: Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle by Maree Cali Executive Director: Nina Fascione Board of Trustees: John D. Mitchell, Chair Walter C. Sedgwick, Vice Chair 10 LURING RAFINESQUE’S BIG-EARED BATS – Bert Grantges, Secretary OR NOT Sandy Read, Treasurer Anne-Louise Band; Eugenio Clariond Reyes; John Striking discoveries from an experiment that didn’t work Hayes; C. Andrew Marcus; Bettina Mathis; Gary F. Mc- Cracken; Steven P. Quarles; Marshall T. Steves, Jr.; Marc by Susan Loeb Weinberger. Honorary Trustees: Sharon R. Forsyth; Elizabeth Ames Jones; Travis Mathis; Wilhelmina Robertson; William 12 BAT FACES Scanlan, Jr. Verne R. Read, Chairman Emeritus An amazing diversity of features Science Advisory Committee: Dr. Gary McCracken (Board Liaison), Dr. Kate Jones, NEWS & NOTES Dr. Thomas H. Kunz, Dr. Tigga Kingston, Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, Dr. Paul Racey, Dr. Charles Rupprecht. WNS keeps moving 14 Membership Manager: Amy McCartney The passing of friends: Patricia Winters BATS (ISSN 1049-0043) is published quarterly by Bat Con ser vation International, Inc., a nonprofit corporation How many bat species? supported by tax-deductible contributions used for public ed- ucation, research and conservation of bats and the ecosystems A big step forward in the Philippines that depend on them. BCI Member Snapshot © Bat Conser vation International, 2011. All rights reserved. The Wish List Bat Conservation International’s mission is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems in order to ensure a healthy planet.

A subscription to BATS is included with BCI membership: Senior, Student or Educator $30; Basic $35; Friends of BCI $45; Supporting $60; Contributing $100; Patron $250; Sus- taining $500; Leader Circle $1,000. Third-class postage paid COVER PHOTOS: Bats are an amazingly diverse group of animals, and their at Austin, Texas. Send address changes to Bat Conser vation In- adaptations to varied habitats have produced some extremely unusual faces. ternational, P.O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716. Members of BCI’s new Science Advisory Committee share some of their favorite bat faces on pages 12-13. Photos ©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI, except bottom left: COURTESY OF TIGGA KINGSTON. Bats_Spring_2011rlvjjh5dwnf6ae7ap_Layout 1 4/6/11 7:35 AM Page 2

COURTESY OF PAUL RACEY FILLING THE VOID The global challenges facing bat conservation

by Paul Racey

This article is based on Paul Racey’s presentation, “Bat Conservation: Past, Present and Future,” at theth 15International Bat Research Conference at Prague, Czech Republic, in August 2010.

s we begin the International Year of the Bat (2011-12), we justifiably celebrate our many successes in bat conservation during the past 30 years or so. Vigorous organizations, government agencies and universities, Aalong with countless dedicated individuals, are now advancing bat re - search and conservation in many countries around the world. But our work has only begun: Roughly half the landmass of the world remains mostly a bat-conservation void. That includes almost all of Africa, the Middle East, the former Russian republics of Asia, most of the Russian Federation and most of Asia: China, Tibet and Mongolia. So in addition to marking our accomplishments, we must also acknowledge the challenge that lies before us and plan the task of filling this void. Bats in these areas rarely enjoy any effective protection and they face a litany of perils: deforestation and habitat loss, cave disturbance, hunt- ing for bushmeat, urbanization, outright vandalism and more. Building

a constituency for bats is hampered by a lack of understanding of their COURTESY OF SUJAS PHUYAL benefits, as well as dangerous myths grounded in traditional folklore Top photo: In Madagascar, bat biologist Amyot Kofoky ex- and often embellished by modern media. plains the use of bat detectors to Daniel Rakotondravony Some international conservation groups, including BCI, support var- (left), head of Animal Biology at the University of Antana- ied bat-conservation efforts within this void. Such individual projects narivo and others as Paul Racey (right) observes. Above: often seem dwarfed within so vast a landscape. But they can plant seeds Sujas Phuyal (right) of Nepal questions residents about atti- of conservation that, with support, nurturing and patience, can grow tudes toward bats as part of an education project sup- into sustainable programs. They point to initial paths toward meeting ported by BCI’s Global Grassroots Conservation Fund.

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the challenge of global bat conservation. Success cannot be im- posed from outside, although it can certainly be encouraged and supported. Conservation for the future grows from within each country and region. Capacity building is essential. In many countries within today’s void, a few dedicated individuals struggle – often virtu- ally alone – to win a place for bat conservation. Consider Erik Bakwo fils, a graduate student in the central African nation of Cameroon. He contacted BCI’s Student Research Scholarship program for help in the first study of fruit bats’ ecological and economical value in southern Cameroon. Besides a lack of

funds, however, Bakwo fils had no one to offer advice and guid- COURTESY OF BRENT SEWELL ance; neither his university nor his country had a single bat spe- cialist. At BCI’s request, I offered advice throughout his study, which was supported by two BCI scholarships. Bakwo fils’ re- Brent Sewell (right) explains the benefits of fruit bats to villagers in search was impressive. But a critical mass of such individuals is the island nation of Comoros during field study that was sup- needed before the next crucial steps can be taken – the creation ported by a BCI Student Research Scholarship. of a self-sustaining conservation organization and local bat-con- servation projects. 2005, providing direct support for about 10 BCI scholarships Training and nurturing young scientists and conservationists annually for research in developing countries. is one of the most powerful approaches to building new bat- In addition, BCI’s Global Grassroots Conservation Program centered organizations, especially in the developing world where provides small grants for bat-conservation work ranging from test- initial funding is often a daunting problem. ing of low-cost bat houses to education to bat-diversity surveys BCI’s scholarships have been especially important in nur- and more than 75 other conservation programs in a total of 43 turing young bat scientists and supporting research in regions countries. These modest awards often blossom into continuing where interest in bats is rare. In many developing countries, this efforts, as in Nepal, Kenya, Colombia, Romania and elsewhere. is one of very few funding sources that can help students earn a A number of leading wildlife and conservation groups include master’s degree, often an essential first step to a career in bat bats in their broader efforts. The Conservation Leadership Pro- conservation. Since 1990, BCI has awarded 291 scholarships gramme – a consortium of Conservation International, Bird Life for research in 59 countries, including 12 nations in Africa, 10 International, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Fauna and in Asia and 15 in South America. Many of these scholarships Flora International, and now funded by the BP Foundation – has went to local graduate students. BCI Scholars from universities supported bat-conservation projects and leadership training in the developed world routinely introduce local students to bat around the world. The UK’s Tropical Biology Association runs research through work as field assistants. The U.S. Forest Service courses in Africa and Malaysia for students from the developed International Program has been an invaluable partner since and developing worlds. Both programs actively encourage con-

Volunteers help monitor bat activity in the United Kingdom through Bat Conservation Trust citizen-science programs that are Decades being expanded to many other countries. of Progress by Paul Racey

he notion of conserving the world’s bats was virtually Tnonexistent a few decades ago. If bats were considered at all, they were mostly feared and reviled as mysterious denizens of the night, creatures of evil myth and superstition. But bat conservation has taken root and blossomed in many nations, as dedicated individuals and organizations gathered scientific knowledge and used it to debunk the myths about these in- valuable animals.

Here is a brief overview of the history of bat conservation around the world:

Continued on page 4 COURTESY OF PHILLIP BRIGGS, BAT CONSERVATION TRUST

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tinuing conservation action by previous participants. is supported by a range of partners and draws participants from The Rufford Small Grant Foundation supports many aspir- around the region. Graduates already have generated several new ing conservationists’ projects involving bats. And the UK’s Dar- conservation groups and projects, and the sessions help build win Initiative aims to help countries rich in biodiversity but international networks of bat workers. poor in resources to preserve their wildlife through the transfer Active grassroots support is essential, and bat-monitoring of postdoctoral expertise. The Initiative provides major project programs built around recruiting and training volunteers is an grants, some of which have driven bat conservation in such effective strategy that combines scientific research with commu- countries as Madagascar, China and Myanmar. nity involvement. The National Bat Monitoring Programme Bat Conservation International’s Bats of Latin America and has demonstrated this in the UK, as the Southeastern Bat Di- the Caribbean Program operates a very productive series of versity Network’s annual Bat Blitz has in the United States. Spanish-language workshops to train budding bat conservation- Now the Indicator Bats Program (iBats), a partnership of ists and scientists in Latin America. Since its first field-training the UK’s Bat Conservation Trust and The Zoological Society session in Nicaragua in January 2009, the program has con- of London, established by Kate Jones (a BCI Science Advisory ducted three workshops in Mexico and one in Paraguay. Others Committee Member) is working with local partners to build are being planned in Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru. The pro- and maintain volunteer-based national monitoring programs gram, adapted largely from BCI’s popular 20-year series of Bat across the globe. Conservation and Management Workshops in North America, A persistent obstacle to conservation in the developing world,

International: Individuals can and do make a real difference, but sustain- able conservation requires organiza- tions, partnerships and networks. Probably the first formal bat-conser- vation entity was created in 1975, when the IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature) established a Bat Specialist Group with representatives from all countries where bat biologists and conservation- ists could be identified. Among the most significant achievements of this international group have been two action plans: the conservation of Old World fruit bats in 1992 (currently being revised) and the global status and conservation of microchiropteran bats in 2001. The Bat Specialist Group now has a website hosted by the Lubee Bat Conservancy of Florida, a nonprofit originally founded in 1989 by Luis F. Bacardi to conserve Old World fruit bats. Now an independent nonprofit, ©MERLIN D. TUTTLE, BCI / 4012511 Lubee has broadened its mission to Robert Stebbings of the United Kingdom, one of the first major European champions of bat include all plant-visiting bats. conservation, weighs a greater horseshoe bat during a field study in the early 1990s.

Europe: In 1984, the conservation organization Fauna and Flora servation or existing NGOs assumed responsibility for bats. A International established a Bat Project in the United Kingdom to current initiative is to establish an alliance of bat-conservation help realize the protection afforded to bats by the UK’s 1981 organizations called BatLife Europe. Wildlife and Countryside Act. That evolved by 1990 into the Bat With Europe’s many migratory bat species, the need for in- Conservation Trust (BCT), a non-governmental organization ternational coordination quickly became apparent. An inter- (NGO) which quickly became the authority for bats in the UK, governmental Agreement on the Conservation of Populations with nearly 100 local groups of volunteer conservationists. of European Bats was signed in London in 1991 as part of the The BCT model spread throughout Europe, where, in many Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild countries, organizations were established specifically for bat con- Animals (known as the Bonn Convention). Since then, 32 out

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where resources are usually scarce, is access to science-based literature, particularly of the “how-to” variety. A potential so- lution is found in the United Kingdom, where the British Ecological Society and The Natural History Book Service dis- tribute publications in the Techniques in Ecology and Conser- vation series without charge to applicants from the developing world. Some 3,000 copies of Bill Sutherland’s Conservation Handbook have been given away in this program. Imagine the benefit for bat conservation if Thomas Kunz’ and Stuart Parson’s Ecological and Behavioral Techniques for the Study of Bats, essential reading for all aspiring bat biologists, was made available through a similar program. There is often a mismatch between academic biology and

Paul Racey demonstrates how to weigh a bat during a work- shop in Nepal sponsored by the Chiroptera Conservation

and Information Network for South Asia. COURTESY OF SALLY WALKER COURTESY OF CCINSA

of 48 eligible countries have signed the Agreement. It is man- now includes organizations in 12 countries, with more expected aged by EUROBATS, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, under to join soon. the aegis of the United Nations Environment Program. Among its many activities are popular European Bat Nights each year, Asia: In Asia, the Chiroptera Conservation and Information and Year of the Bat in 2011-12. Network for South Asia was established in India in 1997 by American Sally Walker. With support from BCI and others, North America: Merlin Tuttle founded Bat Conservation In- CCINSA puts bat workers throughout the region in touch with ternational in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in March 1982, as the one another and also conducts workshops and educational ac- world’s first NGO dedicated exclusively to the conservation of tivities in Asian countries leading to the creation of several bats. The organization moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, groups involved in bat conservation. in 1986. BCI and a growing number of local and national partners Through vigorous education and outreach, professional- have built since 2006 an increasingly active coalition for bat training workshops, on-the-ground conservation efforts and sys- conservation, education and research in the Philippines. Biolo- tematic scientific research, as well as a program of scholarships gist Tigga Kingston of Texas Tech University, a member of BCI’s and grassroots conservation grants, BCI has had a major impact Science Advisory Committee, founded the South East Asian Bat on both the protection of bats and the public’s perception of Conservation Research Unit (SEABCRU) in 2007 to coordi- them in the United States and much of the world. BCI also nate conservation, research, training and outreach in the region. played a key role in helping to create and/or nurture a number In Japan, the bat-interest group Koumori-No Kai is active. of current bat-conservation groups in many countries. A growing network of state and regional bat working groups Australia: The Australasian Bat Society has operated in Aus- – each including agencies, nonprofit organizations and individ- tralia since 1984 to encourage conservation, research and edu- uals – now cover virtually all of the United States and reach into cation on behalf of the country’s bats. The Ku-ring-gai Bat Canada and Mexico. These groups coordinate and often initiate Colony Committee was founded a year later to protect a threat- conservation and research efforts and often work to recruit and ened maternity colony of flying foxes in a suburb of Sydney empower citizen volunteers. from habitat loss by a housing development. In 1998, it became the Ku-ring-gai Bat Conservation Society Inc. to encourage re- Latin America: In 1994, BCI and Mexico’s National Au- search and conservation of flying foxes and other Australian tonomous University founded the Program for the Conserva- bats. The Bat Conservation Gift Fund has existed for two years tion of Migratory Bats (known as PCMM for its Spanish and is spent on the habitat restoration project and the education initials) to conserve bats that cross the international boundary. program. Now independent of BCI, a vibrant PCMM, directed by Ro- drigo Medellín, a member of BCI’s Science Advisory Commit- Africa: Bat-conservation groups exist in South Africa and on tee, has expanded to include all 140 species of Mexican bats. the islands of the Mascarenes, Comoros and Madagascar. PCMM and bat-conservation groups in Guatemala, Brazil, Individual bat researchers and conservationists, many of them Costa Rica and Bolivia formed the Latin American Network for recipients of BCI scholarships, are at work elsewhere in Africa, the Conservation of Bats (RELCOM) in 2007 to coordinate but there are no organizations dedicated to bat conservation. long-term efforts in Central and South America. The network

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practical conservation, and this is reflected in the literature. At of bat conservation shows clearly that we are up to the task – if the 2009 Society for Conservation Biology Conference in Beijing, we have the will. And what are our indicators of success? We’ll a workshop debated this issue and presented results of all the know we are making progress when bat biologists in the devel- species-based research articles appearing in five major conserva- oped world invest in capacity-building in the developing world; tion journals. Only half presented any evidence that research find- when more young conservation scientists in the emerging coun- ings were actually implemented. Thirty percent of the papers on tries are successfully applying for their own grants and writing conservation issues in developing countries did not include any- their own papers; and when scientists in these countries direct one from the country in question in the list of authors. their own NGOs to conserve their own bat biodiversity. That leads me to another vital issue: political engagement. Bat We will get there. It is time for all of us to roll up our sleeves conservationists must become more engaged with law and poli- and get to work. cymakers, especially in developing countries. An example is American bat conservationists’ success in winning congressional PAUL RACEY, a member of BCI’s Science Advisory Committee, hearings on White-nose Syndrome in 2009 and 2010. Much less retired in May 2009 from the University of Aberdeen, where he is has been achieved in India, where bat conservationists are still try- now Professor Emeritus. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Centre ing to get fruit bats removed from official lists of “vermin.” for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter in Corn- There is much to do to fill this global void. But the history wall, United Kingdom. He chairs the IUCN’s Bat Specialist Group.

COURTESY OF SERGIO ESTRADA VILLEGAS

Fundación Chimbilako, with funding from a BCI Global Grassroots Conservation Fund grant, generated a lot of excitement among youngsters in Colombia with a thorough bat-education program that blended facts with fun.

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BBATSATS BYBY THETHE SSEAEA ProtectingProtecting Australia’sAustralia’s coastalcoastal sheath-tailedsheath-tailed batbat

by Maree Cali

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAREE CALI

Maree Cali presented the results of this excellent study at the 2010 Aus- tralasian Bat Society Conference in Darwin, Australia, last summer. The paper received the Bat Conservation International Prize as the best conser- vation report of the conference. Through extremely strenuous fieldwork and outstanding analyses, Cali and her colleagues gathered essential data on this vulnerable bat species and documented its conservation requirements. They took this new knowledge through government channels to help protect vital habitat for one of Australia’s unique bat species. Australian Biologist Greg Richards

crambling along rocky shorelines between sea cliffs and the incoming tide, “commando crawling” through boulder piles and dodging waves Top photo: Maree Cali (left) and Tina Ball measure and to skip from boats onto slippery rocks are all in a day’s work when record a coastal sheath-tailed bat captured at Cape Hills- searching for roosting sites of Australia’s elusive coastal sheath-tailed bat. borough. (Above) A group of these elusive bats roost in S Congregation Cave along Australia’s northeastern coast. This cave-dwelling bat (Taphozous australis) is found only in a narrow strip of Australia’s northeastern coast and islands, along with scattered reports from the southern coast of Papua New Guinea, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) distant. The species is listed as vulnerable at the state level and as near-threatened by the IUCN (Interna- tional Union for Conservation of Nature). Its total population is believed to be declining. The coastal sheath-tailed bat is relatively large for a cave-dwelling bat with a wingspan of roughly 15.5 inches (39.5 centimeters) and an average head-and-body length of 2.75 inches (7 centimeters). It has a foxlike head with soft gray-brown fur. Males have a distinctive throat pouch, while females have a rudimentary pouch. When roosting, these bats are readily identified by the unusual, spiderlike

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way they cling to cave walls with both feet and thumbs. bat (Taphozous georgianus), was also found in the area. Along Previous observations suggest the coastal sheath-tailed bat is with body measurements, the presence of a distinctive throat a rather solitary animal, with colonies that normally range from pouch only in T. australis provided a quick way to separate 2 to 25 individuals, although as many as 100 have been reported species. At a few sites, we were unable to capture any bats in historically. Known roosts, all within a few miles of the coast- our mist nets, although we did obtain photos that clearly line, are primarily in sea caves (formed by wave action) or aban- showed the throat pouch. doned mines. These bats typically forage high above the canopy Of the 15 coastal sheath-tailed bat roosts found in the study, for flying insects. all were within yards (meters) of the high-tide line and were Despite periodic reports and observations, no systematic re- often partly underwater at high tide. Almost all the roosts had search had ever targeted coastal sheath-tailed bats until we began more than one entrance. our study about two years ago to produce habitat maps for the Although temperature loggers were not used, roost sites were species. A team of scientists, conservation officers, rangers and noticeably lower in humidity and temperature than those in- volunteers surveyed potential cave roosts along the tropical east- habited by common sheath-tailed bats. It was especially pleasant ern coast of Queensland and radiotracked individual bats to on humid summer days to sit in T. australis roosts with a fresh document the roosting and foraging needs of this unique sea breeze blowing through the cave. species. I coordinated the project along with Conservation Of- Determining the bats’ foraging range proved more difficult. ficer Tina Ball and Resource Ranger Eddie Adams. All of us are The bats’ high-altitude feeding patterns made it impossible to with the Queensland Department of Environment and Re- trap them within their foraging habitat, so we tried using bat source Management. Funding for transmitters, as well as input detectors to collect echolocation calls. With support from Reef from experienced scientists, was provided through Reef Catch- Catchments Mackay Whitsunday Inc., we were able to enlist ments Mackay Whitsunday Incorporated. the echolocation and radiotracking expertise of Roger Coles and The information we gathered was used to begin mapping Bruce Thomson. We recorded and analyzed calls from both the coastal sheath-tailed bat’s habitat, including how far inland common and coastal sheath-tailed bats, only to discover that they travel to forage. The results are being used to plan and ex- they are too similar to reliably distinguish one from the other. ecute conservation action for the species, and our data will pro- We moved on to radiotracking. We obtained miniature vide a vital tool for protecting the bat’s habitat under radiotransmitters and chose three colonies that were reasonably Queensland’s Vegetation Management Act. accessible and about evenly spread throughout our study area. We surveyed sea caves, boulder piles and rock fissures along We established a stationary base station and used mobile anten- the coastline and islands for use by coastal sheath-tailed bats nas to track up to three bats at a time for three to ten nights, and also visited inland caves to confirm that the bats roosted depending on how long the transmitters remained glued to the only on the coast. bat. A total of seven bats were tracked during the summer at Confirming the presence of coastal sheath-tailed bats re- one site, fall at another and winter at a third. quired us to capture and examine individuals from each colony Our radiotagged bats foraged within just two miles (3 kilo- we discovered, since a related species, the common sheath-tailed meters) of the coast. The longest distance traveled within that

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAREE CALI The view from this coastal sheath-tailed bat roost (left) highlights the dramatic Australian coastline favored by these bats. A sheath-tailed bat was found roosting in the fissure in a boulder at this rugged site (right), evi- dence of just how labor-intensive the author’s roost survey turned out to be.

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COURTESY OF MAREE CALI The coastal sheath-tailed bat is a rather solitary, cave-dwelling species found only along the north- eastern coast of Australia and nearby islands. Maree Cali and her colleagues arrived on small boats and scrambled over boulders to locate the bats’ roosting sites.

range was less than 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the roost. ical information system (GIS) mapping, to create a robust com- During one observation at a floodlit area adjacent to man- puter model of known and probable habitat for coastal sheath- groves, several bats, including one with a transmitter, dropped tailed bats within the Central Queensland Coast Bioregion. In rapidly from a height of about 100 feet (30 meters) above the this way, we calculated not only the required roosting habitat, lights to almost level with them, then again climbing, dropping but also the foraging areas each colony likely requires. and swooping in a lovely figure-eight pattern. They continued This model essentially calculates the complete habitat needs this behavior for some time above and between two floodlights. for conservation of the whole population of the region. The bats spent most of their time foraging over mangrove, eu- Based on our research, we designated all remnant vegetation calypt, melaleuca and rainforest communities on the lowlands within a buffer zone of 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) inland and 9.5 and along the lower slopes of hills. miles (15 kilometers) north and south of each known roost site Foraging above mangroves appeared to be a nightly activity. as known habitat. At two of the sites, the mangrove forest closest to the roost was We used physical shoreline mapping of the Queensland the first habitat visited on most nights. But other than that, the coast and islands of the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon to identify radiotracked bats did not forage together and usually flew off potential roosting sites – cliff lines, boulder fields and rock in different directions. ramps – then factored in the buffer and foraging distances to In the summer and fall, bats would return to the roost indi- select possible habitat. vidually after foraging for a couple of hours. Less than an hour We hope this wealth of new information can be used to leg- after returning, individuals would once again leave to forage for islate protection for these bats through appropriate regulation about two hours, then return again to the roost. That forage- of development along this stretch of coastline. Similar habitat- and-return process was usually repeated a third time before mapping projects are urgently needed throughout the range of dawn. That pattern was similar for virtually all the bats, but the this intriguing bat species in North Queensland. timing of resting and foraging periods varied sharply, with bats coming and going at different times. MAREE CALI is Senior Project Officer at the Queensland Depart- The results of our two-year study were used, with geograph- ment of Environment and Resource Management.

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LURING RAFINESQUE’S BIG-EARED BATS – OR NOT Striking discoveries from an experiment that didn’t work

by Susan Loeb

COURTESY OF SUSAN LOEB

Rafinesque’s big-eared bats are sparsely scattered around the southeastern United States. They are difficult bats to survey and study because they’re tough to capture in scientists’ mist nets.

reat ideas don’t always pan out. In science, hypotheses, when Rafinesque’s big-eared bats’ range, they rely on large hollow tested through experiment, occasionally turn out to be wrong. trees in mature bottomland forests, where habitat loss and forest But that doesn’t necessarily mean the experiment was a failure: fragmentation take a toll. Gresults can sometimes be valuable even when they are not at all Determining the status of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats and what we expected. They can certainly point toward powerful understanding the threats they face require intensive surveying new directions for research. and monitoring. But these bats are rare, widely dispersed and Such was the case with our efforts to lure rare and notori- very adept at evading mist nets. They also have very soft echolo- ously hard-to-capture Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus cation calls. Neither mist nets nor bat detectors have been par- rafinesquii) to mist nets by broadcasting recordings of their so- ticularly effective for studying this species. cial calls. Not only were we unable to attract these bats, but the Our U.S. Forest Service team, bolstered by Eric Britzke of recordings seemed to repel them. Bats of other species, mean- U.S. Army Research and Development Center and with support while, apparently were attracted by the recordings. from a BCI North American Bat Conservation Fund grant, While this result won’t help us capture Rafinesque’s big- hoped to develop a new way to inventory these difficult bats. eared bats in our nets, it could help us better understand how Studies in Europe suggested we might be able to attract bats choose foraging habitat, with potential for boosting con- Rafinesque’s big-eared bats to our nets by using recordings of servation efforts. their social calls. Social calls are different from echolocation, Rafinesque’s big-eared bats are found throughout the south- which is used to locate prey. Bats use social calls to communicate eastern United States, but they are very sparsely distributed among their colony mates or other members of their species throughout their range. Their population and conservation sta- about such things as foraging sites, roost sites, mating and po- tus is of great concern now. In the northern and mountainous tential danger. Social calls are usually louder and lower in fre- areas of their range, these bats hibernate in caves and mines dur- quency than echolocation calls so they can be heard over a ing winter. This means they may be threatened by White-nose greater distance. Researchers in England and Italy have been Syndrome, which has been decimating bat populations in the able to increase the capture rates of Bechstein’s myotis (Myotis eastern U.S. since 2006. In the southern and western parts of bechsteinii) by broadcasting their social calls near mist nets. This

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bat is very similar in size, shape (especially their big ears) and Why might Rafinesque’s big-eared bats be repelled by the ecology to Rafinesque’s big-eared bats. social calls of their own species? We suspect the answer lies in We recorded social calls of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats at two the way that Rafinesque’s big-eared bats forage. Most insect- colonies in different parts of South Carolina. One colony in- eating bats in North America are aerial hawkers, which utilize habited an abandoned gold mine in the mountainous northwest echolocation to catch flying insects. Rafinesque’s big-eared bats, corner of the state. The other roosted in a large black gum tree however, are primarily gleaners that snatch insects from the sur- on the Savannah River Site in the Upper Coastal Plain, about face of vegetation. They listen for faint sounds generated by 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the southeast. We were unable to their prey and may avoid areas where the calls of other bats record calls at our third site: Congaree National Park in central might interfere with their ability to hear the insects. Or perhaps South Carolina. The park has the largest remaining tract of old- individual bats use social calls to establish their own foraging growth bottomland forest in the U.S. and is home to at least areas and keep others out. one large maternity colony of Rafinesque’s big-eared bats. The other species from our nets were all aerial hawkers, which We also found hints of regional or colony dialects (somewhat often eavesdrop on the echolocation calls of other bats to find akin to accents) – small but distinct differences in the social calls areas with abundant prey. These bats may have heard our play- of two colonies. Although the calls recorded in the mountain back calls and assumed they signaled abundant prey at the nets. and Coastal Plain sites were generally similar in shape and fre- Although we were unable to lure Rafinesque’s big-eared bats quency, there were differences. Studies of other bat species have to our mist nets, this research suggests that social communica- found subtle but important variations in the social calls of bats tion may be very important in the lives of bats. It also suggests from different colonies. These are usually attributed to genetic that largely unexpected factors may influence how bats choose differences, learned call structures or environmental conditions and use habitat. If bats are attracted or repelled by bat calls, the at each roost. presence of other bats may be as important in determining habi- It is not clear what caused the differences in social calls be- tat use as landscape quality and prey abundance. tween the colonies we sampled, but we plan to record calls from Although scientists have been studying echolocation for several more colonies this coming year to determine whether many decades, we have just begun to investigate social calls and the distinctions are due to regional, environmental (mine versus communication within and among bat species. There is much tree) or social factors. to learn and the lessons will almost certainly be fascinating. We selected typical, high-quality calls from each site for play- back, then returned to the field to test how bats would respond. SUSAN LOEB is a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, At each site in turn, we set up two nets near known Rafinesque’s Southern Research Station at Clemson University in South Carolina. big-eared bat roosts. We designated one as the ex- perimental net and placed an acoustic transmitter on either side of it. The other was our control, without playback. For an hour, we rotated be- tween five minutes of broadcast and five minutes of silence. Then we moved our transmitters to what had been the control net and repeated the process for an hour, and so on. We ended the evening with two hours of broadcast calls at each net. We monitored both nets continuously and re- moved bats as soon as they were captured. We conducted our experiments for one night at Con- garee and four nights each at the other two sites. Our results were surprising. We captured a total of 11 Rafinesque’s big-eared bats, but 10 of those were from control nets without calls. Rather than luring Rafinesque’s big-eared bats to the nets, the calls seemed to be repelling them. The results were the same regardless of where the calls were recorded. On the other hand, the calls seemed to be at- tracting other bats. Thirteen of the 19 bats of other species that we captured – big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red bats (Lasiurus bore- alis), Seminole bats (L. seminolus), southeastern COURTESY OF SUSAN LOEB myotis (Myotis austroriparius), northern myotis Susan Loeb mounts a recorder inside a hollow tree used by Rafinesque’s big-eared (M. septentrionalis) and tri-colored bats (Perimy- bats to collect their social calls. The recorded calls were then broadcast (inset) otis subflavus) – were taken at experimental nets. near mist nets. The bats, however, were not lured in by the calls.

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PHOTOS © MERLIN CI Members are familiar with the endearing appearance of typical D. TUTTLE, BCI bat species: the compact faces of most insect-hunters, the canine-like look of fruit bats and flying foxes, and pollinators’ long snouts that let Bthem reach deep into flowers for nectar. But the 1,200-plus species of bats offer an amazing diversity as bats have adapted to countless habitats, conditions and food resources. Many bats display unusual, occasionally even bizarre, faces. Familiar Faces: Among typical bats that we know and For a sampling of unique bat species, we asked members of BCI’s love are (from left) Marianas flying fox (Pteropus marian- new Science Advisory Committee to identify some bat species with par- nus), California myotis (Myotis californicus) and Mexican ticularly intriguing faces. Their choices: long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis).

Common vampire bat echolocation calls to communicate with one another regarding Desmodus rotundus varied interactions, including courtship. (Charles Rupprecht) One of only three bat species that feed on blood (and the only one that favors mammals), the common vampire of Latin Amer- Malayan tailless leaf-nosed bat

ica is well adapted for its diet. The short, flat face lets it get up Coelops robinsoni COURTESY OF TIGGA KINGSTON close and personal to prey. Early naturalists asserted incorrectly Like all bats in the family Hip- that the small, triangular nose leaf was a blade-like appendage posideridae, Malayan tailless leaf- nosed bats have a complex nose used to pierce the flesh. It is, in © MERLIN D.TUTTLE, BCI / 0004302 fact, soft, pliable and packed leaf that is presumed to play a role with heat sensors for locating in focusing echolocation signals, blood-rich areas in the skin. which are emitted through the Vampire bats have a prominent nose. In this genus, the front leaf groove on their lower lip where is split, creating two lobes that the tongue protrudes as they lap move a bit like a moustache when the blood at the site of the bite. the bat is echolocating. (Tigga Kingston) (Charles Rupprecht) Lesser Hammer-headed fruit bat naked bat Hypsignathus monstrosus Cheiromeles This distinct face is found only among male parvidens hammer-headed fruit bats; females look like This bat of Indo nesia rather typical fruit bats. But males of this and the Phil ip pines is African species have a hairless, split chin and not well known, but it a very large head, with an anatomy that’s has the typical smooth COURTESY OF TIGGA KINGSTON designed to produce loud, honking calls. muzzle and character- Female hammer-heads apparently find istic “smile” of free-tailed bats. A large hunter of flying insects, it these resonant sounds very attractive and has no fur, just a covering of fine hairs. (Tigga Kingston)

COURTESY OF JACK BRADBURY stimulating. (Charles Rupprecht) Wrinkle-faced bat Greater false vampire bat Centurio senex Megaderma lyra A fruit-eating bat that ranges from Greater false vampires are large bats southern Mexico to Colombia and with very prominent ears and a nose Venezuela, the wrinkle-faced bat’s pecu- leaf that helps to focus echolocation liar morphology is not well understood. calls. These Old World gleaning bats The grooves and flaps of its face may can detect and capture prey in com- help shape its echolocation beams. A plete darkness. They also use specific recent study shows that, because of the © MERLIN D.TUTTLE, BCI / 7294502

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unusual shape of its skull, this bat is capable of the strongest that enable it to adopt this unusual roosting position don’t ac- bite-force of any species in its family (Phyllostomidae). That tually suck – they work by wet adhesion. (Paul Racey) powerful bite presumably allows this bat to feed on very hard items, possibly seeds. (Rodrigo Medellín) Brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus Banana bat The brown long-eared bat is a gleaner that snatches insects from Musonycteris harrisoni leaves and branches in European deciduous forests, where it often The nectar-feeding banana switches off its echolocation to lis- bat is an endangered species ten for noises made by prey. When that is losing its habitat to fully expanded, the bat’s ears are al- tourism development along most as long as its body and collect the Mexican coast. In propor- very low-intensity sounds made by tion to its body, it has the prey. The hearing of these bats is longest skull of any bat, and considered more acute than that of

its tongue can be extended any other species. (Paul Racey) COURTESY OF DIETMAR NILL more than three inches (76

COURTESY OF RODRIGO MEDELLÍN millimeters) to take nectar Tube-nosed from very deep flowers. (Rodrigo Medellín) fruit bat Nyctimene sp. Common noctule This rather striking bat is an ap- Nyctalus noctula parently new-to-science species The common noctule has very conspicuous buccal glands in the that was discovered on Papua corners of its mouth that secrete a white, fatty material, the New Guinea. Very little is function of which remains un- COURTESY OF DIETMAR NILL known about it, but the tubes clear. Equally conspicuous are on the nose might increase the © PIOTR NASKRECKI, the nasal glands, which explain CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL sense of smell. (Kate Jones) the bulbous nose. These are pushed into the wing during Tube-lipped grooming and their secretions nectar bat help to make the noctule one of Anoura the most pungent of European fistulata bats. (Paul Racey) The tube-lipped nectar bat, discov- Eastern sucker-footed bat ered in Ecuador in Myzopoda aurita 2003, has what is The eastern sucker-footed bat features conspicuous upper lips believed to be the that hang over the lower jaw, although there is no known cor- longest tongue rel- relation between these ative to body unusual lips and the bat’s length ever re-

diet of small moths and ported in a mam- COURTESY OF NATHAN MUCHHALA beetles. It roosts head-up mal. The tongue, in the partially unfurled averaging about 3.3 inches (85 millimeters), is up to 1½ times central leaf of the trav- the length of the bat. It curls the tongue inside a special chest eller’s tree of Madagas- cavity. The tongue apparently evolved so the bat could take nec- car, and recent research tar exclusively from a long, tubular flower in the cloud forests of finds that the suckers Ecuador. (Kate Jones) © MERLIN D.TUTTLE, BCI / 0011561

BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Dr. Kate Jones, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Zoology, ZSL, London; Dr. Thomas H. Kunz, Professor and Director, Center for Ecology & Conservation Biology, Boston University; Dr. Tigga Kingston, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University; Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, Senior Director for Conservation and Science, Center for Sonoran Desert Studies, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; Dr. Paul Racey, Professor Emeritus, University of Aberdeen; Dr. Charles Rupprecht, Chief, Rabies Program, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. © MERLIN D.TUTTLE, BCI / 7294502

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NEWS AND NOTES WNS keeps moving

hite-nose Syndrome is on the move again – as it has been The two states also put the WNS fungus on the edge of the Wfor each of the past four winters. Early reports from sur- American West, with distinct geology, a generally drier climate veys of bat-hibernation sites confirm this devastating wildlife and a whole new community of bats that mostly form smaller disease has reached North Carolina and Indiana. That brings to colonies than those of eastern states. 14 the number of U.S. states, plus two Canadian provinces, And if White-nose Syndrome spreads farther south along whose bat populations are being ravaged by WNS. The WNS- the Eastern Seaboard, she said, it will reach warmer areas where associated fungus, although not the disease itself, was reported many bats spend the winter in cisterns, hollow trees and beneath last year in two additional states, Missouri and Oklahoma. loose tree bark, rather than in caves and mines. “These bats seem WNS was confirmed in two little brown myotis (Myotis naturally to arouse more often during winter. Maybe the disease lucifugus) in an Indiana cave in late January. In North Carolina, won’t be as devastating to bats in southern populations. We just tests confirmed the disease in six bats – little browns, northern don’t really know how White-nose Syndrome will behave in myotis (M. septentrionalis) and tri-colored bats (Perimyotis these new areas.” subflavus) – from one cave and one mine in the western part of Whether good news or bad, bat scientists and conservation- the state. ists are likely to learn quite a bit in the weeks ahead. “Indiana and North Carolina are only the beginning,” wor- ries Nina Fascione, Bat Conservation International’s Executive You can help before it’s too late! Support Bat Conservation Inter- Director. “Since its discovery in New York five years ago, the fun- national and its partners in their search for solutions to White-nose gus has traveled more than halfway across the United States, and Syndrome and other critical threats to bats. biologists fear it will reach even farther westward as the winter Please visit www.batcon.org/donate. progresses. The results of this winter will shed light on many questions sur- rounding this lethal disease.” Cave and mine surveys are being undertaken across much of the coun- try, so more grim reports of WNS and the associated fungus are likely. The disease already has killed well over a million bats, with mortality rates approaching 100 percent at some sites. It has, so far, attacked only hibernating bat species, which include 25 of the 46 U.S. bat species. BCI White-nose Syndrome Coor- dinator Mylea Bayless notes that WNS and the fungus are poised to enter areas that are so far untouched and where the landscape, climate and bat populations are somewhat differ- ent from those of the WNS-battered northeast. It is far from clear how White-nose Syndrome will behave in those areas. With the fungus found last winter on asymptomatic bats in Oklahoma and Missouri, Bayless said, scientists may learn new facts about the incuba- tion period of the Geomyces destructans © VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT fungus. Surveys of those sites will likely reveal “whether bat populations Bats suffering from White-nose Syndrome often arouse from hibernation in mid-winter and fly can harbor the fungus for at least two out of their caves or mines during intensely cold weather. Such bats – including this one found years without developing the disease.” outside a cave in Vermont – usually freeze or starve to death.

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NEWS AND NOTES How many bat species?

e share the world with an almost-magical medley of living latest bat count at the 15th International Bat Research Confer- Wthings. And even as we often threaten the biodiversity of ence in Prague, Czech Republic, last August. some regions, new species of plants and animals, including bats, “New taxa are being recognized all over the world,” she says. are still being discovered. Scientists now count a total of 1,232 Most new species are found in the tropics of South America, species of bats. Southeast Asia and Africa. Many are island dwellers with re- That number – more than one-fifth of all the world’s mam- stricted geographic ranges. mal species – comes from Nancy Simmons, the American Mu- Roughly two out of three new species are recognized in stud- seum of Natural History’s Mammalogy Curator-in-Charge and ies that include DNA analyses. These bats, Simmons said, usu- professor at the museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School. In ally have been recognized “by someone at some point as distinct, 2003, Simmons raised the bat-species total to 1,105 – from 925 but they got lumped into other taxa” until they were deter- since 1993 (see BATS, Spring 2003). She confirmed the count mined to be genetically distinct species. The rest of the new in her chapter on bats for the 2005 third edition of Mammal species are mostly discoveries from new explorations in areas Species of the World. rarely sampled by scientists. Simmons and her colleague Andrea Wetterer reported the Who knows what the future will bring?

The passing of friends Patricia Winters hen Patricia Winters, a wildlife-rescue volunteer in she bred show horses as a young woman. She is survived by a WNorthern California, tried to save several injured bats daughter, two sons and nine grandchildren. about 25 years ago, she found that even the veterinarians she Her California Bat Conservation Fund, dedicated to bat res- consulted knew almost nothing about bats – and much of what cue and education, has been a potent force for bats throughout they thought they knew was wrong. the state. Through practical experi- So she learned on her own, saved the COURTESY OF CRYSTAL NORRIS ence, Winters developed critical bats and discovered a consuming pas- techniques for bat rehabilitation and sion for the amazing flying mammals. was a contributor to Captive Care In the years that followed, she not and Medical Reference for the Rehabil- only rescued countless bats, but co- itation of Insectivorous Bats by Bar- founded the nonprofit California Bat bara French (then BCI’s Science Conservation Fund (CBCF) and Officer) and Amanda Lollar. taught thousands of schoolchildren Her fun and fact-filled educa- and adults throughout California tional lectures and slide shows were about the benefits and conservation so popular throughout the state that needs of bats. She was a member of the CBCF says she was reaching tens Bat Conservation International for of thousands of children each year, 21 years. plus uncounted adults at garden “Her fascination with and her clubs and other community gather- love for bats were just infectious,” her ings. More importantly, her friends friend, Kathy Cowan, told a local report, Winters instilled in her col- newspaper. leagues a commitment to bat conser- Bats lost a vital guardian in June vation and provided the tools to 2010, when Patricia Winters died at achieve it. the age of 70 at her home in “She will be greatly missed,” said Forestville, California. Born in Juanita Heinemann, a friend and Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, BCI member.

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NEWS AND NOTES A big step forward in the Philippines

eople crowded around the entrance to Monfort Bat Cave, shop, community outreach and even a “Bike for Bats Fun Ride.” Penchanted by the world’s largest colony of Geoffroy’s BCI Executive Director Nina Fascione, leading a BCI eco- rousette fruit bats. The cave on the Philippines’ Samal Island tour timed to coincide with the festivities, addressed bat experts was the centerpiece of January’s Bat Camp 2011 – one of the and decision-makers at a Bat Conservation Forum during the first major events of the United Nations-designated 2011-12 week. She praised the exceptional progress in the country since International Year of the Bat. BCI began its concerted efforts in the Philippines in 2006 – And while the public enjoyed this learning experience, about when Norma Monfort first requested help in protecting the re- 50 of the country’s leading bat biologists and land managers markable colony of fruit bats in the cave owned by her family. were gathered nearby for a separate major event – a national Monfort, a tireless champion of bat conservation, was a primary Cave-Bat Workshop. Working almost around the clock they organizer of Bat Camp festivities. began the next big step in Philippine bat conservation: a na- The Philippines Cave-Bat Workshop and educational com- tionwide assessment of cave bats. ponents of Bat Camp are among early projects supported by a Bat Conservation International joined with enthusiastic conservation grant from the Disney Friends for Change, a grant partners in the Philippines for both the workshop and the nine- earned by BCI supporters in an online voting competition. day Bat Camp, which featured not only bat watching, but an The unprecedented workshop brought together biologists, agenda packed with educational exhibits and lectures, interac- cavers and Department of Environment and Natural Resources tive programs for youngsters, training sessions, a teachers’ work- staffers from around the Philippines to identify and document specific threats to cave bats and to use that information to establish national conserva- tion, management and research priorities. Dave Waldien, BCI’s Vice President of Operations and International Programs, rated the workshop a great success. “People came early and worked long hours after the sessions ended. The participation and dedi- cation of everyone at the workshop was something to behold.” Participants established national perspec- tives on key threats to caves and cave bats, identified critical stakeholders whose involve- ment will be needed to achieve sustainable conservation, and set initial priorities for management, education and research. And the process itself enhanced a broad, new bat- conservation network that is building unity around a common objective. What emerged from the workshop, Wal- dien said, is “a vibrant and growing national bat-conservation movement, one that is fu- eled by the dedication of Filipino biologists,

COURTESY OF cavers,YUSHI OSAWA conservationists and many others.”

Clunkers for Bats That old car that’s cluttering up your driveway can help bats. Just donate it to Bat Conservation International, and we’ll haul it away from anywhere in the United States, whether it runs or not. The same goes for trucks, vans, motorcy- cles, boats and airplanes. BCI gets the proceeds to help protect bats and their habitats.

Call us toll-free today, at 1-877-BATS-123. We’ll pick up your vehicle, and you’ll receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donation – plus the satisfaction of helping to make a difference for bats.

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NEWS AND NOTES © ED ARNETT, BCI / 0047352 TheWISH LIST

Your help with any of these special needs will directly improve BCI’s ability to protect bats and bat habitats. To contribute or for more information, contact BCI’s Department of Develop ment at (512) 327-9721 or [email protected].

Bat Conservation for Central America

BCI’s very successful Bat Research and Conser- vation Workshops in Nicaragua and Mexico trained students and professionals from throughout the region. Now many of our graduates are launching their own research, conservation and education projects in their home countries. But dedication and passion are not enough when support is in short supply. They often struggle to obtain even basic field equipment. You can help. The items most ur- gently needed to get these projects moving are: 5 headlamps ($35 each); 10 six-meter mist nets ($60 each); 8 nine-meter mist nets ($95 each); 10 12- meter mist nets ($115 each) and 5 Pesola scales for weighing bats ($45 each).

Capacity-building in Mongolia

d Arnett, BCI Director of Programs, was recognized by the Depart- Very little is known about bats and bat diversity Ement of Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for his in Mongolia, but “the enthusiasm among Mongo- work during 2007-10 on a federal advisory committee that recom- lian biologists for learning about bats and their con- mended guidelines for wind energy and wildlife. From left: FWS Deputy servation is extremely high,” says Canadian bat Director Rowan Gould, FWS Director Dan Ashe,Arnett, and FWS Divi- expert Cori Lausen. She hopes to tap that enthusi- sion Chief Dave Stout. asm by training local biologists in the use of bat de- tectors as part of a long-term monitoring project in the country’s Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area. The BCI Member Snapshot project, which combines acoustic monitoring with mist netting and involves a number of local part- ners, will be the first systematic bat-diversity survey cave in southern in this remote corner of the Gobi Desert. It will leave A Mexico is called The behind not only unprecedented data on Mongolian Bat Volcano because as bats, but a corps of trained researchers to conserve many as 2 million bats of them. Lausen is seeking a Global Grassroots Con- several species emerge servation Fund grant of $3,880. dramatically each evening for a night of hunting insects. But Education for Year of the Bat Efraim Acosta of the nonprofit Pronatura Bat fans around the world are celebrating the Year of the Bat in 2011-12, and BCI and its part- Península of Yucatán ners are planning exciting activities to raise public says the cave is less than awareness about bats and their conservation. 200 meters (650 feet) from a busy highway, Education is critical, so we will be preparing a se- and about a dozen bats are killed by traffic each evening. As part ries of educational brochures, posters, bat-fact of the project “Mitigating the Impacts on Biodiversity of Road Con- cards and other publications and DVDs to share the struction” in the region, Acosta and his colleagues convinced officials to facts about bats with children and adults at Year of post bat-protection signs and lower speed limits on the roadway. the Bat events worldwide. We need your support for this ambitious undertaking. Initial preparation, Share a snapshot of your bat activities with fellow members: Email it to printing and associated costs total ap proxi mately [email protected] or mail it to Snapshot, Bat Conservation International, $11,200. PO Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716.

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NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID P.O. Box 162603 AUSTIN, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 1530 Austin, TX 78716-2603 U.S.A.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED