Saving Malaysia's Fruit Bats Research Group Led by Former BCI Student Scholar Promotes Education and Coexistence
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JOIN US FOR OCTOBER 24-31, 2020 ISSUE 3 • 2020 BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL BATCON.ORG Saving Malaysia's Fruit Bats Research group led by former BCI student scholar promotes education and coexistence INSIDE 06 Fish-eating Myotis 14 Leaps in Bat Genomics 25 Backyard "Bativists" Are you a bat photographer? Bat Conservation International is working to collect images of bats from all over the world and we would love to include your photo in our next issue of Bats Magazine. You keep the rights and photo credit. We help archive and share your work. Please submit high-resolution images (at least 300 DPI or 2K resolution) along with specific species information and the photographer's name for photo credit. To submit your photos, please email submissions@ batcon.org. PHOTO: MICHAEL DURHAM / MINDEN PICTURES ISSUE 3 • 2020 Inside this Issue 14 FEATURES 08 SAVING MALAYSIA'S FRUIT BATS Research group led by former BCI student scholar promotes education and coexistence 14 OUT OF THE DARKNESS Big leaps in genomics illuminate the animals' most closely held biological secrets DEPARTMENTS 02 OFF THE BAT Mike Daulton, BCI executive director, explains why the future needs us all 06 SPECIES STUDY A look at the Myotis vivesi 24 BAT CHAT Dr. Liliana Dávalos 25 BAT SQUAD Backyard "bativists" Read back issues of Pale spear-nosed bat Bats Magazine at batcon.org/ (Phyllostomus discolor) batsmag. Photo: Jose Gabriel Martinez Fonseca 03 BAT SIGNALS 18 FIELD NOTES BCI news and Research news from conservation updates around the globe > Apply for a BCI student > Ultrasonic recorders research scholarship help researchers > BCI named Evidence detect bats remotely UPDATES Champion Photos from our & > > Virtual Bat Week bat-loving readers > North American Society ON THE COVER for Bat Research turns 50 Protecting Malaysia's bats by providing education to NEWS 04 farmers and tourists. Photo: Dr. Winifred Frick Photo: Sanjitpaal Singh / Jitspics.com batcon.org / bats 1 off the A few words of introduction from Bat Conservation International (BCI) is a 501(c)(3) your friends at BCI organization dedicated to protecting bats and their bat essential habitats around the world. A copy of our current financial statement and registration filed by the organization may be obtained by contacting our office in Austin, below, or by visiting batcon.org. Main Office Washington D.C. Office 500 North Capital 1012 14th Street, of Texas Highway, NW Suite 905 The Future Needs Us All Building 1 Washington, D.C. 20005 Austin, TX 78746 512.327.9721 By Mike Daulton 512.327.9721 Managing Editor Chief Editor his Bat Week, we are reminded where our bat houses are 100% Kristen Pope Javier Folgar of the importance of our com- occupied. We are deeply proud of mitment to bat conservation. this partnership, the progress we Contributors T Alyson Brokaw / Proofreader We will not back down as long as are making toward advancing urban Lisa Murdock / Proofreader bats are threatened with permanent, wildlife conservation, and the hope irreversible extinction. we are bringing for the future of this Publication Management GLC In 2019, Bat Conservation Inter- species that is clinging to existence in Bats Magazine welcomes queries from writers. Send national (BCI), in coordination with urban and suburban habitats. your article proposal in a brief outline form and a Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) Even with these achievements, our description of any photos, charts or other graphics to work is not complete. Just recently, a the Editor at [email protected]. Bat Lab at Zoo Miami. Our goal was poorly planned and badly sited hotel Members: We welcome your feedback. Please send letters to the Editor to [email protected]. Changes of andsimple: Zoo to Miami, protect opened the federally the first FPL and water park development, Miami address may be sent to [email protected] or to BCI endangered Florida bonneted bat— Wilds, has been proposed on the at our Austin, Texas, address above. Please allow four the rarest bat in the United States. Zoo Miami grounds. In its currently weeks for the change of address to take effect. Since then, we have made tremendous proposed location, this development Board of Directors progress. The 16 custom-built bat will eliminate a critical foraging site Dr. Charles C. Chester, Dr. Brock Fenton houses that we erected throughout for the Florida bonneted bat in the Chair Timo Hixon urban Miami are now 50% occupied Miami-Dade area, pushing it further Dr. Andrew Sansom, Don Kendall by this bat. We have had the most toward extinction. Tragically, it is Vice Chair Maria Mathis success on the grounds of Zoo Miami, proposed directly on the grounds of Danielle Gustafson, Sandy Read Treasurer Dr. Nancy Simmons Zoo Miami where our recovery work Eileen Arbues, Secretary Jenn Stephens “ Thousands of BCI for the bat is taking place. It would be supporters like you made awful if the hope we are building for Science Advisory Committee the species would instead be turned Dr. Luis Aguirre Dr. Stuart Parsons their voices heard with Dr. Sara Bumrungsri Dr. Paul Racey into despair. Dr. Liliana Dávalos Dr. Danilo Russo messages sent directly to BCI is making our voice heard, Dr. Tigga Kingston Dr. Paul Webala the commissioners.” loud and clear, to the developers, Dr. Gary McCracken the county commission, and others Senior Staff involved in the project. Thousands of Florida bonneted bat Mike Daulton, Executive Director BCI supporters like you made their Mylea Bayless, Chief of Strategic Partnerships voices heard with messages sent Dr. Winifred Frick, Chief Scientist directly to the commissioners. This Bobbie Jo Kelso, Chief Development & Communications Officer project directly threatens America’s Michael Nakamoto, Chief Operations Officer rarest bat with permanent extinc- Kevin Pierson, Chief Conservation Officer tion. We will not back down. With Visit BCI’s website at batcon.org and the following your help, I know we can continue social media sites: Facebook.com/batcon at survival. Twitter.com/BatConIntl to give this bat a fighting chance Instagram.com/batconservationinternational Mike Daulton YouTube.com/BatConservation BCI Executive Director Photo: J. Scott Altenbach 2 bats / Issue 3 • 2020 BCI updates and conservation news bat signals BCI 2020 Student Scholar Temidayo Adeyanju collects a bat's measurements in Nigeria. For more information visit batcon.org/student-scholars SCHOLARSHIPS Apply for a BCI Student Research Scholarship Graduate students can apply for funding through October 31 Conservation-minded bat scholars have 1. The effects of human-caused Additional awards are available until Oct. 31, 2020, to apply for the 2021 BCI environmental change on bats; for Women in Conservation Student Research Scholarship. To date, the 2. Understanding and resolving Science and the Verne & Marion program has funded 460 student scholars Read Bat Conservation Honor, working in 70 countries around the globe. 3. Answering ecological and which is awarded to a student Master’s and Ph.D. researchers can apply for behavioralbat/human questions conflicts; essential who inspires education and to the conservation of imperiled community action to protect bats of three broad topics: bat species. around the world. financial support for projects examining one Applications are open from Oct. 1–31, 2020. Photo: Adeyanju Taiye Adeyanju Photo: batcon.org / bats 3 batsignals CONSERVATION Evidence Champion BCI recognized for its commitment to use and contribute evidence in its conservation practice CONSERVATION EVIDENCE, - iated with the University of Cambridge, has named BCI as an the approach. Evidence Champion to recognize a conservation BCI’s commitment organization to practic affil - fromBCI five recently studies signed that tested an agreement the efficacy with of Con- ing evidence-based conservation. servation Evidence to use evidence in our project The UK-based organization compiles and maintains an planning; test and publish results of our conser- online database allowing people to look up conservation vation interventions; and actions and learn about whether or not evidence backs certain ask BCI student scholarship practices. The Conservation Evidence online database collates recipients to use the conser- : vation evidence database Learn more ConservationEvidence.com demonstrate what conservation actions are based on evidence when planning research. forand different provides species summaries groups of relevantor management scientific categories. literature The that pro - “BCI’s collaboration with gram also publishes the online journal “Conservation Evidence” Conservation Evidence is part of our commitment and provides annual updated synopses of evidence, including to ensuring that our work contributes to global for bat conservation. Individual actions are summarized and efforts to improve conservation practices for bats,” says BCI Chief Scientist Dr. Winifred Frick, - scored by the available evidence in the scientific literature. servation Evidence’s Bat Conservation Synopsis. For example, under bat conservation, “creating artificial water who is on the Scientific Advisory Board for Con sources” is deemed “likely to be beneficial,” citing evidence BCI Director of Endangered Species Interventions Dr. Jon Flanders performs acoustic analysis in the field. (This photograph was taken before social distancing requirements.) Photo: Dr. Winifred Frick 4 bats / Issue 3 • 2020 BCI staff look forward to connecting with colleagues and exchanging information about their latest work at NASBR each year (BCI pictured here in 2019). Virtual Bat Week Oct. 24–31, 2020 THIS YEAR, Bat Week is an all-virtual international celebration! Bat lovers around the world will come together virtually to celebrate these amazing winged wonders from Oct. 24–31. Join in the fun and learn about the world’s 1,400+ bat species. Become enjoy, organize a bat club, or take an urbana bat advocate, bat walk. find The a Bat virtual Week event web- to site offers a wide array of options, including a community science component through Project Noah’s North American Bat Tracker. Or Photo: Dr. Winifred Frick get a bit artsy by painting a mural, building a bat house, or cooking a RESEARCH meal with ingredients that rely on bats’ crucial pollination work.