#美国休斯敦蝙蝠大范围死亡 #
On February 22, the news that "a large number of bats died under a bridge in Houston, USA" circulated online. According to foreign media reports, the bridge is located on the side of the Buffalo Bayou River outside the downtown area of Houston, Texas, called waugh Street Bridge. The dead bats were mexico-freetail bats (Latin scientific name Tadarida brasiliensis), which were medium in size, with long, narrow wings and reddish-brown or grey skin. The tailless bat is the fastest mammal in the world, reaching up to 100 miles per hour! Moreover, they do not rely on the wind or dive to reach this speed, but only on the strength of their wings. In addition to speed, the tailless bat is also the most widely distributed mammal. Between 15 million and 20 million tailless bats fly from Mexico every summer into the Bracken Bat Cave in Texas, which today is the world's largest bat cave and mammal colony.
Experts believe the cause of death for these bats may be food shortages caused by the state's recent cold weather or storms. These animals were not prepared for such cold weather.
Image source/brendan beirne
Dr. Nante Fuller, a Texas park and wild bat biologist. Nate Fuller said: "Because these bats don't live in cold environments, they don't prepare and don't accumulate a lot of fat. Just like us, suddenly attacked, unprepared. Nantes said last week's winter wave had killed a large number of bats in the state. The exact number is not yet known.
He added: "The good news is that I think there will be a lot of bats coming to the bridge, but the bad news is that this cold wave has caused so many bats to die." ”
In addition to the United States, Australia has also witnessed a large number of bats appearing at the same time, but not a large number of deaths, but flying around.
In northern New South Wales, Australia, as many as 80,000 foxes have formed a "maternity camp" that covers the sky and forces several parks to close.
It is normal for large numbers of bats to enter the region at this time of year (summer in the Southern Hemisphere at this time), and many photographs show thousands of bats perched on trees or hanging from tree trunks. And when night falls, countless bats fly into the sky, over parks, streets and houses. The animals are expected to stay a few more weeks before flying to Queensland. There, the female will give birth in May.
But despite the amazing "shows" of bats, the Richmond Valley Council has received complaints from residents year after year about not being able to stand the smell, noise and the sheer amount of feces left behind. Parliament said this was the first time this year bats had been hiding near the Irving Bridge.
Despite the complaints about fox bats, scientists say they are important for the recovery of burned trees. However, all bat species, including the fox bat, face a dilemma.
The main causes are drought and wildfires. The bat cubs themselves were victims of australian wildfires that wiped out almost all of the species' pups. Ms Sarah Curran is an Australian WIRES volunteer and bat expert with 10 years of bat rescue experience. "At the end of 2019, drought left bats short of food, and many juvenile bats were abandoned," she said. Then, wildfires broke out and more juvenile bats were abandoned, making the situation less optimistic. "WIRES is Australia's bat rescue agency.
Pictured is a fox bat, with Sarah Kuran in the background, and news Corp Australia
After juvenile bats are rescued, WIRES volunteers and bat experts take care of them hand in hand — intensively for 12 weeks, feeding them 4-5 times a day — before which the bats return to nature. Ms. Curran said the bat cubs were either abandoned or both parents were dead, or they wouldn't be left alone.
The importance of fox bats is reflected in their long-distance pollination and seed propagation for rubber forests and hardwood tree species in eastern Australia. Otherwise, the rainforest will not be able to regenerate and expand.
"Fox bats feed mainly on the nectar of eucalyptus flowers and fly at least one marathon distance per night," Curran said. We know that birds and bees pollinate local plants, but foxbats pollinate farther and are unmatched by other animals. ”
The above is more or less due to natural reasons, but it should be noted that due to the continuous exploration and even occupation of caves by humans, the living space of bats has been squeezed. At the same time, humans and bats are dealing with more and more frequently, and the distance is getting closer, which also increases the chance of zoonotic transmission. On the one hand, the habitat of bats should be protected for survival; on the other hand, further disturbances to bats should be avoided, human health should be protected, and the spillover and spread of zoonotic diseases should be reduced.
#Bat##Wildlife##Australia##美国寒潮 #
Text/YX Review/Linda