An Unlikely Hero With Global Impact

Bats have been on Earth for more than 50 million years. With more than 1,500 speciesthey are the second largest order of mammalsand are widely dispersed across six continents. Globallybats provide vital ecosystem services in the form of insect pest consumptionplant pollinationand seed dispersalmaking them essential to the health of global ecosystems.

Todaybats are under unprecedented threat from widespread habitat destructionaccelerated climate changeinvasive speciesand other stresses. Without concerted international actiontheir populations will continue to falldriving many species to extinction.

Pest consumption

Who needs pesticides when we have bats?

Scientists estimate that insect-eatingor insectivorousbats may save U.S. farmers roughly $23 billion each year by reducing crop damage and limiting the need for pesticides. Moston averagecan eat up to half their body weight in insectswhile pregnant or nursing mothers will consume up to 100 percent of their body weight each night.

Did You Know? The millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats at our Bracken Cave in Central Texas help target an especially damaging pest called the Corn Earworm Moth (aka cotton bollwormtomato fruitwormetc.)that attacks a host of commercial plants from artichokes to watermelons.

Pollinators

Most flowering plants cannot produce seeds and fruit without pollination – the process of moving pollen grains from the male part of the flower (the stamen) to the female part (the pistil). This process also improves the genetic diversity of cross-pollinated plants. From deserts to rainforestsnectar-feeding bats that drink the sweet nectar inside flowers pick up a dusting of pollen and move it along to other flowers as they feed.

This role as a pollinator is critical for a wide variety of plantssuch as giant cacti and agavewhich would not thrive without bats. Bat pollination also plays a vital role in the cultivation of a host of commercial productsincluding balsa woodcarobclovesand durian fruit.

Seed Dispersers

Vast expanses of the world’s rainforest are cleared every year for loggingagricultureranchingand other uses. And fruit-eating bats are key players in restoring those vital forests.

Regenerating clear-cut forests is a complex natural processone that requires seed-scattering by many animals besides bats. Many fruit-eating animals drop seeds back into the groundbut these droppings typically occur within proximity to where they live. Night-foraging fruit batson the other handoften cover vast distances each nightand many of these species are quite willing to cross clearings and typically defecate in flightscattering far more seeds than animals such as birds across cleared areas. Seeds dropped by bats can account for up to 95 percent of the first new growth.

This ability to transport seeds is highly crucial — as the conditions left by forest clearings are often hotdryand unwelcoming to many types of plants. The seeds dropped by bats are often from hardy pioneer plantswhose first growth serves as shelter and cover for more delicate plants.

8 Amazing Bat Facts

1. Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight.
2. Tequila is produced from agave plants that in the wild rely on bats as their primary pollinators.
3. The world’s smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat measuring up to 29 – 33 mm (1.1 –3 in) in length and 2 g (0.071 oz) in mass as a full-grown adult.
4. The world’s largest bat is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox with a wingspan up to 6 ft!
5. The oldest known bat was a male Brandt’s myotis who lived at least 41 years.
6. The fastest bat in the world is the Mexican Free-tailed Batflying in short bursts at speeds up to 100 mph!
7. Of the 1,400+ species of bats in the worldonly three are vampire bats that drink blood.
8. Bracken Cave is the world’s largest bat colony. Located near San AntonioTexasUSAthis is a summer maternity colony for up to 20 million Mexican Free-tailed Bats.

Conservation Status

• 23 Bat species are critically endangered (face imminent risk of extinction)
• 85 Bat species are endangered
• 113 Bat species are considered vulnerable
• 236 Bat species are considered “Data Deficient,” an indicator that more conservation attention is necessary for these species

A dangerous time for bats

As bat populations continue to decline worldwidetheir potential for extinction only grows. While some of the challenges they face are endemic to their ordersuch as their slow gestation periods and diseases like White-nose Syndromethe primary cause of their decline is human activityincluding:

• The ongoing destruction of natural habitats
• Hunting and persecution for sport and meat
• The growing use of wind-turbine energy
• The proliferation of harmful myths

Climate Change

Global climate change is a major threat to the ecological integrity of our planet.  The negative forces of climate change are often most severe on species already imperiled by habitat loss and other stressors.  Integral to our mission to protect global bat populations is developing science-based strategies that address threats to bats around the world to prevent extinctions and faunal collapse.

Major threats that climate change poses to global bat populations:

• Mortality from increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events
  • Flying foxes are dying in alarming numbers in Australia from extreme heat waves
  • Bats on islands are threatened by severe tropical stormsespecially when coupled with extensive habitat loss and persecution on islands.
• Increased aridity and drought reduce the survival and reproductive success of bats
  • Bats in arid and semi-arid landscapes have lower fitness during drought. The long-term consequences could result in range contraction of bat species and loss of bat diversity in arid and semi-arid regions of the world.
• Changes in the timing of migration and potential for phenology mismatch between bats and critical food resources during critical life stages
  • Species of insectivorous and pollinating bats that undergo long-distance migrations and depend on seasonal timing of food resources to fuel migrations could be negatively impacted by shifts in phenology of available resources (e.g. flowering plants or seasonal insect abundance).
• Climate change is a global problem necessitating a global solutionbut local interventions and targeted actions play a critical role in protecting species from its adverse effects.  Effective conservation strategies must address current and future impacts from climate changeincluding creating resiliency and mitigating the threats of extreme weather eventsincreased droughtand shifts in phenology and habitat suitability.  Our work to protect bats includes strategies that promote climate adaptationmitigationand identifies key research needs.  SpecificallyBat Conservation International takes action by:
  • Promoting Climate Adaptation for Bats
    • Securing resilient habitats for imperiled bats threatened by climate change
      • We protect critical habitat refugia for island endemic bats vulnerable to increased severity and frequency of tropical storms (e.g. FijiJamaica)
      • We provide safe roosting structures for endangered species in hurricane-prone areas (e.g. Florida bonneted bat)
      • We protect subterranean roosts to provide habitat resiliency for bat communities
    • Protecting and restoring habitat networks for migratory species experiencing shifting phenology
      • Our Bracken Cave preserve protects the largest known colony of Mexican free-tailed bats during the summer maternity season and now also protects a growing population of bats overwintering in Texas
      • We restore agave plants in desert and montane habitats across the migratory range of nectar-feeding bats in Mexico and the US-Mexico borderlands to provide climate resilient corridors for migratory pollinating bats
  • Supporting Climate Mitigation Solutions
    • We invest in researching solutions that reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities; supporting renewable energy development that is sustainable and does not negatively impact biodiversity while producing carbon-free energy
  • Leading Research to Inform Conservation Priorities in a Changing Climate
    • We partner with the North American Bat Monitoring Program to determine status and trends of batsincluding range shiftsto inform local to continental conservation planning

Habitat Destruction

The loss of natural habitats remains the most widespread peril for bats worldwide.

Forest habitatwhich many bats use for roosting and foragingare disappearing at an alarming rate — the result of timber harvestsclearings to make room for farm cropsmining operationscattle pasturesand cities. The danger is even more significant for tropical rainforestshome to the richest diversity of bat species.

Caves and abandoned mines also serve as roosts for many specieswith countless numbers of bats being driven out due to inappropriate guano mining or thoughtless tourism. This is especially prevalent during the winter months when large numbers of bats hibernate in caves and mines. If roused from hibernationsuch as by human disturbancebats can burn through the stores of fat they need to survive the winter.

Persecution

In many parts of the worldbats are victims of casual killingthe result of harmful myths and misplaced fears. In Latin Americawhole colonies of beneficial bats are routinely slaughteredthe victims of a mistaken belief that all bats are vampires. (In realityonly three of the more than 1,400 bat species feed on bloodand all are in Latin America.)

In regions such as Southeast Asia and the Pacific islandslarge fruit-eating bats are huntedboth for local consumption and commercially for markets and restaurants. Some bats are also used in traditional folk medicines.

White-nose Syndrome

White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has been continually responsible for the death of millions of bats in North America since it was first discovered in a single cave in New York in 2006. The condition is causing massive population declines for multiple hibernating bat speciesresulting in one of the most significant losses to wildlife in the past century. Named for the telltale white fuzzy growth on the noseearsand wings of infected batsWNS repeatedly rouses bats from hibernationcausing them to consume their winter fat stores — which often can result in starvation before spring.

Bats with the disease symptoms of WNS are found in 35 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces. To date12 North American bat species have been confirmed with WNSincluding two federally endangered speciesthe gray bat and Indiana bat. The Northern long-eared bat was listed as federally threatened due to the rapid decline of this species from WNS. Thankfullynot all species are impacted the same way by WNSwith some appearing more resistant to the disease than others. Scientists are working to determine the conditions that contribute to a bat’s susceptibility and for potential treatments.

Bats affected with WNS do not always have visible fungal growth. Sometimesthey simply display unusual behavior such as flying outside during the day in near-freezing weather. As a resultin winteryou may see dead or dying bats on the ground or in buildings or other structures. If you encounter onedo not handle it.

Wind Energy

As the world reckons with the need to reduce carbon emissions and invest in renewable energy sourcesthere is a rapid growth of wind energy facilities around the world to support transitions to cleaner power in our global fight against climate change. Unfortunatelywind turbines pose a risk to some bat species that are vulnerable to colliding with turbine blades. Scientists estimate that hundreds of thousands of bats are killed each year in the United States alone. Migratory bats appear most vulnerable and comprise most bat casualties identified under wind turbines.

As wind energy development expands to fight climate changethe impact on bat populations from increasing build-out could be devastating unless solutions to minimize bat fatalities are implemented. A recent study by Bat Conservation International showed that the Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in North America could experience a 50% decline of its population by 2028unless measures to reduce current fatality rates are adopted rapidly.

Bat Conservation International has been a leader in working with the wind energy industry to develop solutions to support wind energy and sustain bat biodiversity. Solutions such as changing the speeds at which turbine blades are allowed to start spinning can reduce bat fatalities by nearly halfwhich can help sustain bat populations and the ecosystem services they provide.

(Keep Bat Facts section the same)

Batshumansand health

When simply left alonebats are harmless and highly beneficial. Bats are fascinating creatures that are vital to the balance of nature around the world. Like most wild animalsbats prefer to avoid contact with humans. But in situations where bats and humans come into close proximityit is important to understand how to prevent negative outcomes.

Here are several scenarios that might bring bats and humans together:

• Bats sometimes accidentally fly into a home or business through open doors or windows.
• Bats might roost in structures where humans live or work by taking advantage of existing small openings into atticswall spacesor chimneys.
• Sickinjuredor dead bats sometimes fall to the ground where humans live.

In each of these situationswe discourage the general public from handling bats.  Learn how to safely and humanely deal with a single bat or a colony of bats here.

Bats and Infectious Disease

More than 60 percent of infectious diseases are zoonoticwhich means that these diseases are caused by pathogens that can spread between animals and humans.  Some bat species are among many othersincluding domestic animals such as cats and dogsand wildlife like raccoonscivetsand macaquesthat can be reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens.

The emergence of these pathogens is closely associated with habitat destructionhuman encroachment into wildlife habitatsand exploitation of wildlifeas these activities bring peopleour domestic animalsand wildlife in close proximity to each other and increase the risk of pathogens  “jumping” between species in what is called a spillover event.

Over the last decade and especially since the recent global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2bat health has been studied and monitored.  Increased surveillance of bat health and improved techniques for disease detection have identified several bat species as potential reservoir hosts for pathogens that can affect humans and domestic animals.  These pathogens include MarburgNipahHendraSARSand MERS coronaviruseslyssa viruses (including rabies)and possibly Ebola viruses.

Increased surveillance and research have also identified that the emergence of pathogenssuch as HendraNipahand rabiesis closely linked to the degradation of ecosystems in ways that affect the distribution and abundance of bats’ food sources 1–4. This not only affects the health of bats but can also force bats to forage in habitats that are in close proximity to humans and domestic animals. Other pathogens like the SARS and MERS coronaviruses have been linked to the exploitation of wildlife in activities related to the wildlife trade5. The wildlife trade involves removing animals from their natural habitats and placing them in crowdedstressfuland unsanitary conditions with close contact with other species and humansincreasing opportunities for pathogen spillover.

The spillover of zoonotic pathogens is best prevented by maintaining ecosystem integrityprotecting wildlife healthand reducing opportunities for close interactions among humansdomestic animalsand wildlife.  At Bat Conservation Internationalwe follow the One Health framework through conservation initiatives that protect bats and their habitatsfor the sustainable coexistence of bats and humans with reduced risk of pathogen spillover.

• References:
  1. EbyP. et al. Pathogen spillover driven by rapid changes in bat ecology. Nat. 2022 1–3 (2022) doi:10.1038/s41586-022-05506-2.
  2. StreickerD. G. & AllgeierJ. E. Foraging choices of vampire bats in diverse landscapes: potential implications for land-use change and disease transmission. J. Appl. Ecol. 531280–1288 (2016).
  3. EpsteinJ. H.FieldH. E.LubyS.PulliamJ. R. C. & DaszakP. Nipah virus: Impactoriginsand causes of emergence. Curr. Infect. Dis. Rep. 859–65 (2006).
  4. PulliamJ. R. C. et al. Agricultural intensificationpriming for persistence and the emergence of Nipah virus: A lethal bat-borne zoonosis. J. R. Soc. Interface 989–101 (2012).
  5. LetkoM.SeifertS. N.OlivalK. J.PlowrightR. K. & MunsterV. J. Bat-borne virus diversityspillover and emergence. Nature Reviews Microbiology vol. 18 461–471 (2020).

Rabies

Rabies is a preventable viral infection of the central nervous system in mammals. Batslike most mammalscan contract the rabies virusbut the vast majority never do. When bats do get rabiesthey eventually die from the disease and do not “carry” the virus indefinitely without themselves getting sick.

The virus is typically transmitted by the bite of an infected animal – anyone bitten by a bat (or any other wild or unknown domestic animal) should thoroughly wash any wounds with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention. People canin rare instancescontract rabies if infectious materialsuch as saliva from a rabid animalgets into their eyesnosemouthor a wound.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information about Rabies here.

Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease caused by a fungus that grows in soil enriched by animal droppingsincluding those from bats. Ninety percent of all reported cases in humans come from the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and adjacent areas where warmhumid conditions favor fungal growth.

The disease is rare or nonexistent in most of Canada and in the far northern and western United States. The majority of cases are asymptomatic or involve flu-like symptomsthough some individuals become seriously illespecially if exposed to large quantities of spore-laden dust.

To be safeavoid breathing dust in areas where there are animal droppings; if you must clean an area of bat or bird droppingswear a respirator that can guard against particles as small as two microns.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information about Histoplasmosis here.

What Makes Bats So Unique?

Bats are complex mammals with advanced navigation systemshighly specialized dietsand diverse survival strategies. Many species rely on echolocationusing sound waves to map their surroundings with incredible precision. Others depend on sharp eyesight and scent to find food and return to roosts.

These adaptations shape bat behaviorwhich can vary dramatically depending on where a bat lives and what it eats. Some bats travel long distances nightlywhile others stay close to a single roost. Some hunt insects in midairwhile others forage in treesflowersor along waterways.

How Long Do Bats Live?

A common misconception is that bats have short lives because of their size. In realitybat lifespan can be surprisingly long. While lifespan varies by species and environmental conditionssome bats can live for decades in the wild under the right circumstances.

This longevity is one reason bats are especially vulnerable to population declines. Many species reproduce slowlyoften raising only one pup per year. When bat populations droprecovery can take a long time.

The Incredible Diversity of Bat Species

There are more than 1,500 known bat speciesand they can be found in desertsforestsislandsmountainsand cities. Some bats are tiny enough to fit in the palm of your handwhile others have wingspans stretching several feet.

This diversity means bats fill many ecological roles. Some are specialized pollinatorsothers are insect huntersand some help restore forests by spreading seeds. Even within the same regiondifferent bats may live in different habitats and hunt in different ways.

Common Bat Species and Why They Matter

Many people are surprised to learn how many common bat species live near neighborhoodsparksfarmsand even cities. These bats often remain unseenquietly helping control insect populations night after night.

Some of the most widely recognized species in North America include the little brown batbig brown batand Mexican free-tailed batall of which are known for their insect-eating habits. Other common batssuch as the evening batsilver-haired batand hoary batare also frequently found across wide regions and play an important role in local ecosystems.

Even bats that seem “ordinary” make a major difference in keeping ecosystems balanced. Insect-eating bats can reduce the number of pests that affect cropsgardensand outdoor spaceshelping protect both agriculture and natural habitats.

The Benefits of Bats for People and Nature

The benefits of bats extend far beyond wildlife conservation. Bats support ecosystems that humans rely on for foodclean waterand biodiversity. When bat populations are healthyecosystems tend to be more resilient.

Bats contribute to healthier forests through seed dispersalstronger plant growth through pollinationand more balanced insect populations through natural pest control. These services are not easily replaced. When bats disappearthe effects ripple outward into agriculturehabitatsand entire food webs.

Endangered Bat Species and the Need for Protection

While some bats remain stablemany endangered bat species face increasing pressure from habitat lossdiseaseclimate shiftsand human disturbance. Some species live only in specific regions or rely on a limited number of roost sitesmaking them especially vulnerable.

When a bat species is pushed toward extinctionthe ecosystem around it can also become less stable. Conservation work helps protect not only batsbut also the habitats and wildlife communities connected to them.

Why Bat Conservation Starts With Awareness

Protecting bats is not only a scientific effort. It is also a public awareness effort. Conservation grows when people understand what bats do and why their survival matters.

When communities learn about batsthey are more likely to support habitat protectionresponsible land useand solutions that reduce human impact. Education creates momentumand momentum creates real conservation outcomes.

Take Action to Protect Bats

Bats have survived for millions of yearsbut today they face challenges that cannot be solved without action. When you support Bat Conservation Internationalyou help protect bats through scienceresearchhabitat conservationeducationand global collaboration.

Get Involved Today

There are many ways to make a difference:

• Donate to support bat conservation projects worldwide.
• Become a member and help strengthen long-term protection efforts.
• Stay connected by learning more and sharing bat education resources.

Every action helps protect batssupport biodiversityand ensure these remarkable animals continue to thrive for generations to come.