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Article: This bat is all ears: Buffalo National River provides much-needed habitat for the Ozark big-eared bat, among the most endangered of the 43 bat species in the country. (Rare & Endangered).(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- National Parks
- Article date:
- September 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Parks Conservation Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Contrary to what scary movies and spooky campfire tales would have one believe, bats are not dangerous neck-biting, blood-sucking creatures. In fact, most bats, such as the Ozark big-eared bat, are highly beneficial to humans. Many species prey on night-flying insects known to damage staple crops, while some pollinate fruit-bearing trees. Bats account for 25 percent of all mammal species, but they reproduce slowly and need certain types of caves to breed and hibernate, making them susceptible to threats that can affect their numbers. And the Ozark big-eared bat, first described in 1950 from Hewlit Cave in Arkansas, is among the most endangered of the United States' ...