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The Importance of Bats in Our Ecosystem

And Why We Should Protect Them

By RMcKittrickPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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 Photo of an orphan bat named Rhapsody: courtesy of Kerryn Kent.

March 5, 2019: Worldwide, there are more than 1000 different species of bats that fit in one of two sub-groups:

  1. Microchiroptera, which varies in appearance and found worldwide.
  2. Megachiroptera, more commonly known as "flying fox" for their fox-like faces, and this group is found primarily in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Did you know that just in pest control alone, bats save agricultural cost by $3.7 billion per year in the United States? This monetary worth isn't so surprising considering that with the exception of three species of nectar-feeding bats, all of them are insectivorous. They feed on beetles and moth species that cost our farmers and foresters billions of dollars annually! And let's not forget they even feed on the pesky mosquitoes that feast on us during our summer cookouts.

There are several factors that play in their decline:

  1. In North America, bats are being affected by White Nose Syndrom (WNS), a fungus that killed an estimated 6.7 million bats. It is a fungal growth around the muzzle and wings of hibernating bats, it damages the skin, muscle and blood vessels. WNS was first discovered in New York in 2006 and affects the little brown bat the hardest. Little brown bats only have one pup a year, so the possible recovery of the species will take close to a century. Luckily, researchers are studying to eradicate the fungus. They have found a certain bacteria called Rhodococcus rhodochrous which can prevent the fungus from gaining a foothold on the animal if it is caught early on. However, the same bacteria have been proven to slow the fungal's growth.
  2. With the advancements of wind farms, bats have been colliding into the blades of wind turbines. This, and the growth of WNS, has been the leading cause of the populations' decline in recent history.
  3. Natural disasters such as storms, floods, drought, and other climate changes.

Late in 2018, a bushfire was sparked in Queensland Australia due to extremely high temperatures, leaving 880,000 hectares, or 2,174,527 acres ablaze. This took a toll on the bat populations in Australia, where many were left dead, injured and orphaned. Many rescue groups reached out to help protect the fragile creatures during this time, much like Kerryn Kent, of QLD, Australia, who has the rescue group of Flying Fox Rescue and Rehab.

Kent's Instagram account, Wingspawsandclaws, is full of pictures and information regarding the nature of the rescue organizations. She is a licensed and vaccinated wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator, who post pictures of the orphans and other injured bats. She tells how to properly go about getting help for injured bats and request anyone not licensed and vaccinated to call someone who is and not handle the bats themselves.

The killing of bats is also largely linked to the declination of bats worldwide. In the United States, it is illegal to kill bats, however, in some parts of the worlds, they are still killed as pests or for meat. Many people will kill the bats out of fear, believing that bats are a carrier of rabies, which is not a true fact at all. In reality, only less than 0.5 of the species has rabies.

Man-made objects are another cause of decline for the bats. Things like fruit netting which help protect trees and other crops from being taken over by bats can cause more harm than good. Bats become entangled in the netting and in their struggle actually end up hurting themselves even more! There is also barbed-wire fencing, where bats become ensnared on them, tearing holes in their wings.

Agricultural growth and the use of pesticides. Habitat loss forces bats to migrate outside of their normal migratory line, which is dangerous to them, as there are many other predators to fear, along with scared humans who may want to kill them. Pesticides are chemicals that kill insects, which in turn poisons the bats after they consume the pesticide infected insects.

Fun facts: One bat eats one-third of its body weight and is able to catch over 600 mosquitos in one hour, along with other winged insects which may be carries of diseases like malaria. Imagine if the bat did become extinct, how many humans will end up in hospitals or die due to their disease?

Also, because of bats, we have bananas and pineapple that would decrease by 60 percent if it wasn't for the pollination by bats.

Quano, which is bat droppings, isn't just a great natural fertilizer, it is also useful in detoxing industrial waste, and helpful in antibiotics!

References:

ActionBioscience. (n.d.).

Global analysis reveals why many bat populations are in decline. (2019, March 16).

From thousands to about 25: Outbreak continues to ravage New Hampshire bat population.

TribuneReview. (2018, January 26). Pennsylvania bats: Some species headed for extinction?

What would happen if bats went extinct? (2016, June 29).

Why are bats important? (2018).

Why Queensland's 'mega-fires' have been described as extraordinary. (2018, December 1).

wild animals
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About the Creator

RMcKittrick

I love art, animals, writing and history.

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