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male epauletted bats have pouches in their shoulders which contain large, showy patches of white fur that they flash during courtship to attract mates. |
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Our Wish List
Your help with any of these special needs will directly improve BCI’s ability to protect bats and bat habitats. To contribute or for more information, contact BCI’s Department of Development at
here.
Bunkers into Bat Roosts
Bunkers and bomb shelters along the Jordan River were abandoned after the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. Biologist Eran Levin of Israel’s Tel Aviv University surveyed a number of those old bunkers and discovered that at least 10 bat species were using many of them as roosts. Eight of the species are listed as threatened in Israel.
With most natural caves disturbed by humans, roosting sites in the Jordan Valley are limited. And bats are using these bunkers even though the metal-covered walls and ceilings are tough for bats to cling to.
Levin wants to improve the roost potential of the bunkers by, among other things, attaching plastic netting that bats can grab easily. Conditions will be monitored and educational live video provided online. Levin requests a BCI Global Grassroots Conservation Fund grant of $5,000.
Checking Hollow-tree Roosts
BCI biologists and their partners in the southeastern United States are busily assessing conditions in the increasingly rare large hollow trees that Rafinesque’s big-eared bats and southeastern myotis need for roosts.
In addition to monitoring roosting bat colonies, they assess old-growth trees for acceptable roosting conditions. These can be tagged for special protection. The assessment team needs laser thermometers ($90 each) that can read temperatures at the top of a hollow and a GPS positioning unit ($200).
Underground Safety Gear
Biologist Jason Corbett leads BCI’s new Southwestern Subterranean Program that conserves bats in caves and mines in the arid Southwest. Jason spends a lot of time underground, assessing mines and caves to identify important bat roosts for endangered lesser long-nosed bats and other species.That sometimes means he finds himself rappelling down vertical mine shafts or encountering underground pockets of toxic air.
Jason has the specialized training for the job, but still needs some critical safety equipment, including a self-contained breathing apparatus ($2500) and rappelling ropes and gear ($400).
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You can help save bats, too! Become a member of BCI to help support our worldwide effort to protect bats and bat habitat. You’ll receive a free gift for joining and a subscription to BATS magazine. Or, simply make a general donation – your generous gift goes a long way towards reversing the plight of these remarkable and vulnerable animals.
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The
Bat Vine... |
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7/14/2008 Bat Biologist Wanted, TX |  |
7/14/2008 Research Assistant Wanted | |
7/14/2008 Our Latest Wishlist | |
6/27/2008 M.S. Research Assistantship | |
6/24/2008 Job Vacancy at BCI! | |
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