Going Batty

International Bat Week, a global celebration of the world's most misunderstood mammal, fittingly comes to a close tomorrow on Halloween. To celebrate, let's take a trip down memory lane to that time five years ago when I helped with a bat colony count. It was late summer in 2017. I was just a few weeks away from leaving the Northwest and returning to my native Pennsylvania. I was invited to a pot luck for volunteers at Northwest Trek, a wildlife park in Eatonville, WA. I'd worked with them doing amphibian egg mass surveys for the state and nature mapping for Nisqually Land Trust. There was also a bat colony count happening that night, and I was asked if I would like to join. Of course I said yes. After white nose syndrome was detected in Washington, the state fish and wildlife service wanted to colony counts to establish a baseline population for monitoring purposes. Having worked on other conservation projects with Northwest Trek it was only natural that they would ask them to partner up again. And it was a no-brainer for me to get in on the action. After eating, we took an extended afterhours tram ride through the free roaming area to see the deer, elk, bison, moose, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep who don't know they're lving in captivity. There's nothing wrong with a little extra time hanging out with our animal friends. Afterwards, we returned to the park entrance. I was supposed to monitor the comings and goings at a bat box inside the park just inside the entrance. All I had to do was count how bats flew out and how many flew in, until I couldn't see anymore. Ins and outs, then subtract and the difference is my count. Very simple. But the bats had other plans for the night. Before we even got inside we could hear bats moving around inside the roof of the entrance. I never made it in. Instead, I stood outside the entrance counting bats. I watched as a little bat would drop down from the roof and gain altitude as it moved towards me. I only ducked once or twice. It was just instinct. I knew they wouldn't hit me. I figured with their echolocation they could tell where I was long before I saw them. I could hear theirs wings flapping and feel the breeze as they zipped past my head. At the end of the night, all the participants gathered to turn in their tally sheets. The counting station at the entrance, which wasn't on the list at the beginning, and was almost an afterthought, turned out to have the highest count of the night. I don't remember how many bats we counted collectively, or what my total was. It was a great night and I hope we collected important data. I'm forever thankful I was able to be a part of it.

Species of the Month

This month we are looking at one of the largest mammals in North America, the moose. Since they are
found in the northern areas, I decided the dead of winter is a great time to profile this great beast. If you
are ever lucky enough to see one, they are best viewed from a distance. Size may be deceiving. They
move quickly and won't hesitate to mess you up!

Moose in Alaska (NPS)

Scientific name: Alces alces

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed mammals)

Range: Northern North America

Habitat: Forested areas near freshwater

Lifespan: 8-12 years on average

Moose shedding his antler velvet (NPS)

Diet: Twigs, bark, and roots of trees- especially aspen, willow, and conifers; aquatic plants during
summer months

Predators: Wolves, bears (black and grizzly), humans

Conservation Status: Species of Special Concern in Michigan; no special protection in other areas

Other Information: The moose is so cool! Or at least it strives to be. Body size, coupled with an
inability to sweat, means they have to seek shade and water in or to avoid overheating during summer
months. Just how big is a moose? They can grow to be 7 feet tall at the shoulder! Males grow antlers
for mating season and shed them afterwards. Those antlers, largest in the animal world, can span 6 feet.
Calf mortality is high- 50%. Due to their size, calves are more likely than adults to suffer predation by
wolves or bears. Adults are armed with sharp hooves, in addition to those huge antlers on males. Moose
disease is a fatal brainworm parasitic infection, also seen in deer. Ticks also present a problem. They
can weaken a moose to the point of death from blood loss.

Mama moose with calf in Michigan (NPS)

Our moose information comes from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.