Bat Week 2019: Nature’s biggest (little) helpers

Bats are sometimes depicted as scary creatures. The truth is that bats are far from scary, and they are one of Nature’s biggest helpers. The Bureau of Land Management is absolutely batty about them! We work collaboratively with partners to conserve bat habitat and manage the land for multiple use while wildlife habitat in mind.

A Mexican long-nosed bat. Photo by BLM New Mexico.

Bats have a significant impact on nature. They help to keep bug populations in check by eating up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour. They often consume their body weight in insects every night. Bats are also pollinators. Some of these pollinators live in southern New Mexico on lands managed by the BLM, which is the only place in the United States where three different species of migratory nectar-feeding bats co-occur is on these lands. This includes the Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis), the Lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), and Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana).

While all three species play important roles as pollinators of iconic desert plants, the Mexican long-nosed bat is the subject of ongoing research due to its rarity and endangered status. The BLM works with New Mexico State University (NMSU), Colorado State University (CSU), and the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct research, monitor bat populations, protect roosting habitat and manage public lands with bats in mind. Through our collaboration with NMSU and CSU we hope to better understand the migration patterns in Mexican long-nosed bats and their habitat use between Mexico and the United States.

Some might continue to think of bats as spooky, especially around Halloween, but their existence and viability are critical to the ecological balance of the natural world. The BLM is committed to working with partners to help conserve bat habitat. Learn more about Bat Week: blm.gov/bat-week.

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