batsignals

Bat Signals

•nivalis
Dr. Jon Flanders presenting BCI’s updates to the Nivalis Conservation Network in conference room
Dr. Jon Flanders presenting BCI’s updates to the Nivalis Conservation Network.
Photo: Dr. Ana Ibarra

Coming Together to Protect Nivalis

International meeting focuses on Mexican long-nosed bat
This spring, Bat Conservation International staff members traveled to the National Autonomous University of Mexico for a conservation strategy meeting involving scientists, researchers, and policymakers from the United States and Mexico, who are all members of the Nivalis Conservation Network. The group met to determine the next steps in the conservation strategy to protect Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis), a species that travels between the two nations.

Researchers are working to learn more about the bats’ migration corridor and how they are moving, drinking nectar from agaves and other flowering plants, like columnar cacti, pollinating them along the way. Agaves and other plants used by bats are also used by humans for various purposes. Agaves are used to produce beverages like mezcal and tequila, as well as other products, such as rope, paper, and animal feed. These bats also provide other ecosystem services, like pollinating a variety of crops, including pitaya.

During the meeting, the members worked on planning efforts, including working to find more of the species’ roosts to protect them, as well as to identify and protect migration corridors. For future steps, partners also discussed coordinating with communities on sustainable practices for agave production, informing the public about the species, updating Management Plans of the Protected Natural Areas, and working on climate mitigation and adaptation approaches to benefit the species.

•batcon.org
Screenshot of "Bat Profiles" webpage

Bat Facts

BCI’s revamped species profile page shares the wonders of bats
Itching to learn more about your favorite bats (and find some new ones to add to your favorites list)? Hop on Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) bat profiles page to expand your knowledge. The site has new and improved functionality and a revamped search engine to share the website’s wealth of bat knowledge.

Learn about the Endangered Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus), with a handy button to listen to the bat’s distinctive call. See the beautiful giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), which lives in Southeast Asia, and learn all about its frugivore diet, primarily comprised of figs.

Top up your bat knowledge and immerse yourself in these winged mammals’ worlds by browsing BCI’s revamped bat profile page.

Notes iconCheck out BCI’s new bat profile page at batcon.org/bat-profile
• agave

We Belong Together

New campaign focuses on the interdependence of bats, agaves, and humans
"We Belong Together" webpage screenshot
Every year, nectar-feeding female bats make the journey from Central Mexico to Northeast Mexico and the Southwest United States, stopping at agaves to feed on nectar—and pollinate the plants—along the way. However, over the past few decades, populations of Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) have decreased by 50% due to habitat loss and roost disturbances. Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) new campaign, “We Belong Together,” focuses on the interdependent relationships of bats, agaves, and humans.

This campaign, which includes a series of films by Chris Gallaway of Horizonline Pictures, focuses on BCI’s Agave Restoration Initiative. The initiative involves BCI and more than 65 partners from the U.S. and Mexico working together to collect seeds, grow agaves, and plant them in priority areas for bats. Another component supports communities implementing sustainable agricultural and ranching and developing community-based green businesses.

Agaves have a long history in religion and Mexican culture. They are important resources cultivated by farmers and harvested to make products like tequila, mezcal, bacanora, aguamiel, pulque, and agave syrup. The leaves, stalks, and rosettes of agaves are also used to feed livestock and to make rope, paper, fabric, and soap. Additionally, agave plants have root systems that extend to stabilize soil and control erosion. Restoring agaves to the landscape supports healthy ecosystems and community livelihoods.

Notes iconLearn more about the “We Belong Together” campaign at batcon.org/batsandagave
•batcon.org

New Virtual Bat Experiences

Enjoy a bat adventure from home
Experience the wonders of bats from the comfort of your own home. Bat Conservation International’s website now includes an array of virtual bat experiences, including a live video feed from Bracken Cave Preserve, opportunities to listen to the sounds of bats found around the world, access to virtual and in-person events, and connections to the most fascinating bat viewing sites found on Earth.
Notes iconExplore BCI’s new virtual bat experiences: batcon.org/experience
• Annual Report
Bat Conservation International 2022 Annual Report cover

BCI’s 2022 Annual Report Now Available

A look at our work and the global landscape of bat conservation
Healthy ecosystems depend on bats. For 41 years, Bat Conservation International (BCI) has worked around the globe to conserve these vital mammals.

In BCI’s 2022 Annual Report, learn about BCI’s recent work—including rediscovering Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli), a species no one had documented in 40 years, and working to save the Endangered Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus)—among many other projects. Learn more about BCI’s recent work and future endeavors and what you can do to save the more than 1,400 species of bats known to exist on Earth.

Notes iconLearn more about BCI’s recent work and plans for the future: batcon.org/financials
Back to Issue