🦇Bat Appreciation Week continues! 🦇 Hell Hole Cave is the largest known hibernaculum for the Virginia Big-eared Bat, a federally endangered species that calls our region home. 💚 Every two years, scientists carefully enter the cave to count and monitor these bats—using clickers and photography to minimize disturbance. Alongside the Big-eared bats, several other rare species like the Indiana Bat, Little Brown Bat, and Tri-colored Bat also find refuge here. With the help of the Virginia Departme

No tricks here! Bats are vital to healthy ecosystems. 🦇🌙 Often misunderstood as spooky creatures of the night, bats are actually fang-tastic allies. Each one devours thousands of insects every night, keeping nature in balance. At Forillon National Park, seven bat species call the park home, most of them listed as species at risk. And they’re not alone - from coast to coast, bat populations are facing steep declines due to habitat loss and white-nose syndrome. Across the country and beyond, Par

Did you know that some bats can glow in the dark? 🦇 Every October, #bats become icons of mystery and folklore. They're silhouettes on the darkening sky, darting through the chill air. But this year, science has added a new layer of intrigue: some bats glow under #ultraviolet light! Researchers from the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources said this month that 6 North American bat species emit a green #fluorescence when exposed to UV rays. It’s the 1st documen