Ag & Range

Photo Courtesy of Michael Durham, Minden Pictures

A big brown bat, a species native to the U.S., Canada and Centeral America roosts on a mossy cave wall. This species’ diet is based on forest and crop insects pest species.

Time to get batty

Photo Courtesy of Michael Durham, Minden Pictures A Mexican-freetailed bat, a species known for huge colonies and flying up to 100 mph, rests in a cave.

u By Kamryn Kozisek

Ag & Range Editor

International Bat Week kicked off Oct. 24 with both virtual and in person events across the U.S.

The week long celebration is meant to awarenesses to the importance of bats in nature and agriculture, according to Batweek. org.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission hosted a virtual event called “Don’t be Bat Blind! Myth Busting Nebraska Bats”.

During this event bat specialists discussed bat sterotypes and myths. The event was open for those attending to ask the experts questions. Nebraska has several native bat species including, big brown bat, Eastern red bat, Indianan myotis, long-legged myotis, Northern long-eared myotis, Townsends big-eared bat, Western small-footed myotis, cave myotis, evening bat, little brown myotis, Mexican free-tailed bat, silver-haired bat and the Western red bat.

Accross the world there are 1,400 species of bats, of these species 213 are considered threatened or endangered according to Bat Conservation International (BCI).

Bat species population decline is due to climate change, habitat destruction, wind turbines, whitenose syndrome and hunting around the world for fur and meat.

Bats aid in pollination and seed dispersal of plant species around the world. They also consume pest and insect species that damage plants. Bats save the U.S. $23 billion a year, by protecting crops and forests from insect pest species and helping pollinate crops, according to BCI.

Bats are also responsible for pollinating agave plants. These plants are then used to produce most of the tequila in the U.S.

BatWeek.org, is the main site for virtual and event information. International Bat Week ends Oct. 31.

Photo Courtsey of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission A big brown bat rests in the hand of a researcher during a capture study near Crawford in the Soldier Creek Wildreness Area.