Prints

A spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) pollinating a black bean tree (Castinoperum australis), a prized timber tree in Australia. Pollination

An endangered Mariana flying fox (Pteropus mariannus) eating a cycad fruit on the Island of Guam. Flying foxes are key dispersers of tree seeds on Pacific Islands. Seed Dispersal

A male Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) and his harem roosting in a Helaconia leaf whose midribs have been cut, making the leaf hang down to form a "tent" in a Costa Rican rain forest. This is just one of many bat species that play essential roles in rain forest seed dispersal. Roosting

A Common tent-making bat (Uroderma bilobatum) taking a ripe fig in Costa Rica. Such bats play key roles in reforestation of cleared areas.

A hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in Texas. These bats are long-distance migrators, some traveling all the way from Canada to Mexico and back each fall and spring. Large numbers are now being killed needlessly by careless production of wind energy. Flight

Lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) pollinating cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) in Mexico. This is the world's largest cactus, growing up to 50 feet tall and providing food and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife. It relies heavily on bats for both pollination and seed dispersal. Pollination

Lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) pollinating cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) in Mexico. This is the world's largest cactus, growing up to 50 feet tall and providing food and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife. It relies heavily on bats for both pollination and seed dispersal. Pollination

Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)

A silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) during fall migration in Wisconsin. Some of these are long-distance migrators. Others may not migrate at all. Roosting

Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) hibernating in an abandoned mine in Wisconsin. At such northern latitudes, they may hibernate for as much as 8 months, living off of stored fat reserves. Their fur is covered in condensed moisture droplets. When active in summer, just one of these bats can capture 1,000 mosquitoes in a single hour. Hibernation

A tightly packed cluster of endangered Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis) hibernating in a Kentucky cave. With just their faces, ears and wrists exposed, they can pack in at more than 300 per square foot. Hibernation

Newborn baby Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) cluster at 300-500 per square foot in a Texas cave. Sharing body heat speeds growth. Each mother produces just one pup per year, but even in these crowded conditions she can find and nurse her own several times daily. Courtship & Rearing Young

Millions of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerging from Frio Cave in the Texas Hill Country. Their great columns can be seen for miles around. Before their dawn return, they will capture up to 100 tons of insects, mostly crop pests over agricultural areas. Emergences

Between 10 and 20 million Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerging from Bracken Cave in Texas. They will climb thousands of feet above ground where, aided by tail winds, they can travel at up to 100 miles per hour to reach distant feeding areas. Before their dawn return, these bats will consume 100 - 200 tons of insects, mostly crop pests over agricultural areas. Emergence

Between 10 and 20 million Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerging from Bracken Cave in Texas. They will climb thousands of feet above ground where, aided by tail winds, they can travel at up to 100 miles per hour to reach distant feeding areas. Before their dawn return, these bats will consume 100 - 200 tons of insects, mostly crop pests over agricultural areas. Emergence

A spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) in Utah. These rarely seen bats roost high up in cliff-face crevices and rely on low-frequency echolocation calls to hunt moths. The moths' ears are tuned to the higher frequencies used by most other bats, so they can't hear the approach of a spotted bat. These bats have white bellies and black backs, each with three white spots. Both their ears and wings are pink, making them one of the most spectacular mammals of North America. Roosting