The stories people tell about bats seem to come from novels, comics or science-fiction movies. They’re able to emit and hear sounds in frequencies inaccessible to other species. Some undertake epic migrations that take them across oceans. Others can fly as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). They have an enviable immune system that makes them resistant to hundreds of viruses. Their list of qualities is as wide as their diversity: scientists today know of at least 1,460 species of bats throughout the world. In all the stories about bats, there’s a common thread: bats are facing growing threats that challenge their survival. The populations of several species are declining considerably. And this threatens to turn many of these stories into tragedies. Of the 154 bat species identified in North America, 142 are found in Mexico. Image courtesy of Rodrigo Medellín. Bats are excellent pollinators and pest control agents, helping in the cultivation of various types of crops. Their remarkable immune system could also hold the answer to the development of new treatments to fight illnesses like cancer. Losing even a single species of bat is therefore no minor issue. “Protecting bats and their habitats helps create a healthier, safer world for our forests, our farmers, and ourselves,” says the “State of the Bats in North America” report, published in 2023 to catalog for the first time the situation of the 154 bat species found in Mexico, the United States and Canada. For two years, 100 experts from the three…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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