Articles for tag: Bats

Flying bats

The Bat Bomb Experiment: The U.S. Military’s Strange World War II Plan

Annette Uy

During the tumultuous years of World War II, innovative and often bizarre ideas were put on the table to gain an upper hand. Among these was the U.S. military’s unusual plan known as the Bat Bomb Experiment. This audacious concept involved using bats as mini-bomb carriers to unleash chaos on enemy infrastructure. Such an idea ...

Oklahoma's Underground Bat Hotels

Oklahoma Bats Roost in Old Mines

Jan Otte

Deep beneath Oklahoma’s rolling hills, something fascinating is happening in abandoned coal and copper mines. These forgotten industrial spaces have become the unlikely sanctuaries for bat colonies across the state. The transformation of Oklahoma’s into critical wildlife habitat tells a story of adaptation, conservation, and ecological balance. These underground chambers now house some of the ...

Pennsylvania's Bats Make a Comeback

Pennsylvania’s Bats Make a Comeback

Gargi Chakravorty

  After nearly two decades of devastating losses, Pennsylvania’s bat populations are showing remarkable signs of recovery. The story begins in 2006 when a mysterious white fungus started appearing on hibernating bats in caves across New York state. By 2009, this deadly disease had spread to Pennsylvania, triggering one of the most dramatic wildlife collapses ...

a large bat flying over a forest filled with trees

Bats You Might Still Spot in Kentucky’s Caves

Suhail Ahmed

On a cold night in Kentucky’s karst country, a cave’s breath rolls out like fog and the ceiling looks empty – until your headlamp snags a small, steady shape clinging to stone. More than a decade after a lethal fungus swept through the state’s underground, the question isn’t whether bats remain, but which ones still ...

black and brown animal head

Bats See With Sound, But Some Can See UV Too

Suhail Ahmed

For more than a century, bats were cast as creatures of pure echo – masters of sound who traded sight for sonar in the deep night. Now a quieter revelation is unfolding: a surprising number of bats still use their eyes, and some can even see ultraviolet light that humans can’t. This dual sensory strategy ...

Common Vampire Bat

Vampire Bats Are Migrating North Into The USA

Linnea H, BSc Sociology

The migration of vampire bats towards the north, potentially making the United States their new habitat, is a significant ecological event. This movement, primarily driven by climate change, has been linked to an increase in rabies cases in Latin America, drawing attention to the potential risks and challenges it poses for wildlife management and public ...

Bat Sanctuaries and Church Towers: Preserving England’s Hidden Flyers

Bat Sanctuaries and Church Towers: Preserving England’s Hidden Flyers

Annette Uy

The sun dips below the horizon, and as the last golden rays slip away, a silent ballet begins overhead. Tiny silhouettes dart from ancient stone spires and leaf-canopied sanctuaries, weaving through the twilight on invisible wings. These are England’s bats—enigmatic, misunderstood, and vital to the land’s natural heritage. For centuries, they have made their homes ...

Bats Gossip and Remember Who Cheated Them

Bats Gossip and Remember Who Cheated Them

Annette Uy

Imagine a world cloaked in darkness, where the flutter of wings signals not just movement, but a complex society built on trust, memory, and even a little bit of gossip. Bats, those mysterious creatures of the night, have long fascinated us with their uncanny abilities. But what if I told you that their social lives ...