Bat CREW

Beginning of the emergence of Mexican freetailed bats at Bracken Cave in San Antonio, Texas.

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"We know now that typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, and many sorts of dreadful maladies are borne about by the mosquitoes and the fly. Without such virus carriers these deadly pests would die out. And of all the creatures in the woods there is none that does more noble work for man than the skimming, fur-clad Bat. Perhaps he kills a thousand insects in a night. All of these are possibly plague-bearers. Some of them are surely infected and carry in their tiny baleful bodies the power to desolate a human home. Yes! Every time a Bat scoops up a flying bug it deals a telling blow at mankind's foes. There is no creature winged or walking in the woods that should be better prized, protected, blessed, than this, the harmless, beautiful, beneficent Bat."
Ernest Thompson Seton, Wild Animal Ways, 1923
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The welfare of bats worldwide depends on education

The general populace, through misunderstanding and misinformation remains unaware and unconvinced of the benefits these wondrous creatures provide.

For example, in many parts of the world, flying foxes play a crucial part in plant reproduction. They pollinate countless species of plants as they fly from flower to flower drinking the nectar. They spread seeds by their feeding habits, ingesting juice and expelling solid matter, and by defecating in flight. Many plants rely solely on bats for reseeding and maintaining rain forest diversity. In fact, the reseeding of cleared rain forest land would be impossible without the help of bats. Unfortunately, in spite of their importance to a healthy environment, many countries (like Australia) still allow, even encourage, farmers and hunters to kill vast numbers of flying foxes.

Some species of flying foxes have demonstrated altruistic behavior. An example of this unique behavior was observed in the Pteropus rodricensis. A pregnant female having difficulty in giving birth was assisted by a neighboring female who stayed with her throughout the prolonged process that lasted 2.5 hours. The "helper" licked and groomed the expectant mother and repeatedly "showed" her the typical feet-down position for parturition. The "helper" cradled the mother during labor and even helped take care of the newborn pup. Till then, such obstetrical assistance had only been observed in dolphins. Due to the recent decline in flying fox populations, studies like the one in which this behavior was observed have almost come to a halt.

For important information on what is happening to bats around the world, please see our
BATS IN THE NEWS page!
This page contains links and information regarding the destruction of habitat and some species. We hope you will join our crusade to put an end to this injustice.

It is Bat CREW's objective to provide knowledge to as many people as we can reach. Fortunately we are joined in this endeavor by many other groups and organizations. The crusade is on, the weapon is knowledge, and the truth is (out there) slowly being realized and accepted.

In California, as the result of an increasing interest in having bats as neighbors, studies conducted at the University of California Cooperative Extension and University of California, Davis, are being conducted to learn more about bats and their role in the ecosystem. In response to some growers desire to increase the number of bats foraging over their crops, Caltrans is installing bat houses under many Central Valley freeway bridges and overpasses following the example of the Texas State Department of Transportation.

The favorite hangout of the California Central Valley's largest known bat colony is going to be rebuilt. An estimated 40,000 bats roost on the underside of a 1950 redwood-beam bridge spanning the confluence of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers In California. Sacramento County will replace the structurally unsafe bridge in 2001, and county officials are working with bat biologists and The Nature Conservancy to provide six specially-constructed bat "condos" including three on the Cosumnes River Preserve, designing the replacement bridge to host 100,000 bats. Experts are confident that the bats will return to the old site when the new structure is in place. The Cosumnes colony is dominated by the Mexican freetail bat, Tadarida brasiliensis.