They weigh around 15 grams, the same as a 50 cent coin. They devour vast quantities of insects. And they’re in real trouble. Our new research has found the critically endangered southern bent-wing bat is continuing to decline. Its populations are centered on just three “maternity” caves in southeast South Australia and southwest Victoria, where […]
Tag: bats
Petition: Ban Fur Trapping in the United States
Fur trapping is incredibly cruel and unnecessary. Wild animals trapped for their fur undergo extreme violence and usually suffer for hours or even days at a time. They are caught in steel-jaw traps or even hit to death with bats. These innocent animals are killed to death so their fur can be used in the […]
Birds, bats, bees and butterflies are essential for pollination in your garden
Pollinators include birds, bats, bees, butterflies, and a variety of other insects. We’d be in a lot of trouble if they didn’t exist. Pollinators are involved in one out of every three bites of food humans consume, and they are critical to the ecosystem’s balance. According to estimates, between 75 and 95 percent of all […]
North American bats decimated by fungal illness are now classified as “endangered”
In recent years, white-nose sickness has decimated northern long-ear bat populations. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that the flying creatures would be reclassified from threatened to endangered. This comes after a study found that by 2025, the devastating white-nose sickness will have affected 100 percent of northern long-eared bats. In 2012, white-nose […]
Scientists have discovered why vampire bats are the only mammals that can survive on a diet of just blood
Scientists compared the genomes of common vampire bats to those of 26 other bat species and discovered 13 genes in vampire bats that are either absent or no longer function. Those gene changes allowed them adapt to a blood diet high in iron and protein but low in fats and carbohydrates over time, according to […]
Komodo dragon in danger of extinction as sea levels rise
The komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, is threatened with extinction as rising water levels driven by the climate crisis shrink its habitat, according to the latest “red list” update. Endemic to a handful of Indonesian islands, the komodo dragon lives on the edge of forest or in open savannah, rarely venturing higher than 700 […]
LED streetlights decimating moth numbers in England
“Eco-friendly” LED streetlights produce even worse light pollution for insects than the traditional sodium bulbs they are replacing, a study has found. The abundance of moth caterpillars in hedgerows by rural roads in England was 52% lower under LED lights and 41% lower under sodium lights when compared with nearby unlit areas. In grass margins, […]
POLL: Should experimental coronavirus vaccine be tested on zoo animals?
According to the New York Times, in early July an experimental coronavirus vaccine for animals began making its rounds at the Oakland Zoo in California. During the course of the summer, about 100 zoo animals are going to receive the vaccine, including mountain lions, ferrets, bears, and tigers. The veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis is donating […]