Hard to believe, but October is already here! And that can only mean one thing – bats! Everyday throughout the month of October, follow CWF on social media and our blog to fly high with these incredible creatures of the night! Each day we will have fun facts, quizzes, and amazing photos highlighting these amazing animals and the work CWF does to protect them.
Today we will give an overview of bats in New Jersey with a news article written by CWF Wildlife Biologist MacKenzie Hall. Next week, we will discuss some threats bats face today. On the third week we will debunk some myths about bats, and for the final week in October we will share ways you can help!
Make sure to follow us everyday on Facebook and Twitter and read our blog every Friday for our #31daysofbats!
CWF biologist MacKenzie Hall releases male Big Brown bat (c) Robert Thompson
by MacKenzie Hall, CWF Wildlife Biologist
Bats are a fascinating group of animals. They’ve been flapping through the skies for more than fifty million years and are still the only mammals on Earth that can truly fly. They’ve conformed their diets, their homes, and their bodies to nearly every environment worldwide, with more than 1,200 species now spread across the planet. Some are tiny (the one-inch long Bumblebee Bat of Thailand is the world’s smallest known mammal), while others are quite massive (the wingspan of tropical Flying Foxes can reach six feet!). Poke around online to see some of their incredible diversity. Just skip over the Wrinkle-faced Bat if you want to sleep at night.
Tags: 2014, bats, New Jersey, new jersey wildlife, wildlife