Colorado Bat CREW

24/05/2025

Bats in Patio Umbrellas Bats are notorious for using folded patio umbrellas as a roost. Evening bats in particular love to snuggle into in the folds. Umbrellas are preferred by […]

22/04/2025

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Almost 25% of mammal species on earth are bats! Bat play critical roles in ecosystems and economies around the globe. They need healthy habitats and we need them! Think about what you can do on your immediate little space on the planet this year. What could you do?
-avoid using pesticides
-plant some native plants or a native shrub or tree
-put shallow pans of water out for wild things like bees
-turn your lights out at night, especially during migration periods
-be a bug farmer!

Take a moment today to really look at a plant or a tree or wildlife in your neighbourhood and marvel that this is our planet earth.

06/04/2025

02/04/2025

Thank you Donna Nespoli and Colorado Native Bird Care and Conservation for stepping in and caring for our residents when we needed help!

26/03/2025

It's that time of year again! Patio umbrellas are coming out, and sometimes we find a little evening bat (or moms and babies!) seeking shelter there. Check the first comment to learn how you can enjoy your umbrella and keep bats safe, too!

06/03/2025

Did you know that there is a library in Portugal where bats are used to protect the books? Bats eat insects that might damage old books. 📚🦇

At the heart of the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe, is the Joanina Library, a veritable treasure trove of knowledge and baroque architecture. This unique library is not only an impressive place with its sumptuous design, but also with an unusual method of protecting the books: a colony of bats has been living inside the library for over two centuries!

At night, the bats emerge from the massive carved wooden shelves and begin to fly among the old books, feeding on insects that might damage the fragile pages of the historic volumes. These little book guardians play an essential role in preserving valuable collections by naturally eliminating pests without the use of chemicals that could harm sensitive materials.

To protect the library's wooden furniture and surfaces from bat droppings, staff cover the reading tables with special leather at the end of each day. In the morning, the library is carefully cleaned and life goes on in this sanctuary of learning.

The Joanina Library houses approximately 60,000 volumes, including rare manuscripts, books from the 17th-18th centuries and works of inestimable value. Thanks to bats, these literary treasures are preserved in excellent condition, and this unusual collaboration between man and nature continues to fascinate visitors from around the world.

So...if you ever get to Coimbra, don't miss the chance to see this unique library with your own eyes, where history, architecture and nature work together !

03/03/2025

The winged residents have been lurking in the stacks since the 18th century.

28/02/2025

Bats have very unique and often extreme adaptations like this large-eared horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus philippinensis). Both the nose "horseshoe" and big ears allows them to produce, shape, and receive sounds use for their echolocation which is needed for navigating their environment and finding food (insects in this case).

This is only one of many fascinating bat species we encountered last week at the Gomantong Caves in Malaysian Borneo during the workshop. I want to thank the whole team that organized and attended the workshop for this incredible opportunity!
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