Tag Archives: Bat

VST Unveils “Cosmic Bat” in the Southern Sky

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Astronomers using ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope have captured a stunning image of a large nebula that strikingly resembles the silhouette of a bat.

This VST image reveals a gaseous cloud formed like a space bat. The vibrant red glow is produced by hydrogen atoms energized by the powerful radiation from young stars within the cloud. Notable features include RCW 94, which makes up the right wing, and RCW 95, which forms the body, though the remaining bat elements lack official designations. Image credit: ESO / VPHAS+ Team / VVV Team.

“Located about 10,000 light-years away, this ‘space bat’ navigates between the southern constellations Circinus and Norma,” ESO astronomers stated.

“It spans an area of the sky equivalent to four full moons, seemingly foraging in the illuminated spots above.”

“This nebula acts as a stellar nursery, a vast area of gas and dust where new stars are born.”

“The young stars emit sufficient energy to excite surrounding hydrogen atoms, causing them to produce the striking red hue evident in this captivating image.”

“The dark filaments of the nebula resemble the skeletal structure of our space bat.”

“These formations accumulate cooler, denser gas compared to their surroundings, with dust particles obstructing visible light from the stars behind.”

“Named for its extensive catalog of bright star-forming regions in the southern sky, the most prominent clouds are RCW94, representing the right side of the bat, and RCW95, forming the body; however, the other parts of the bat remain unnamed.”

This remarkable image was captured by ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

“VST is ideally suited for capturing these large, eerie entities,” astronomers remarked.

“It features OmegaCAM, a cutting-edge 268-megapixel camera, enabling VST to photograph vast sections of the sky.”

“The image is a composite made from observations through various filters that capture different colors and wavelengths of light.”

“Most bat shapes, including the vivid red glow, were recorded in visible light as part of the VST Photometric Hα Survey of the South Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+).”

“Additional infrared data enhance the coloration of the densest regions within the nebula, obtained with ESO’s Visible Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) as part of the VISTA Variable of the Vía Láctea (VVV) survey.”

“Both surveys are accessible to anyone eager to delve into this limitless expanse of astrophotography.”

Source: www.sci.news

The bat that walked backward developed a unique navigation technique

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Larger mousetail bats crape backwards

Sahar Hajyahia et al. 2025

Orienting yourself in the darkness of a cave seems like a difficult task. However, some bats may have an ingenious solution: use tails.

Larger mouse tail bat (Rhinopoma Microphyllum) Live in groups within small caves that are difficult to fly, so they move deeper by hanging from the cave walls and raw to the rear. They manipulate this way in many situations, depending on the appearance of the predator, or when they want to find a better location in the cave.

Biologists have wondered whether these bats might use their unusually long tails as “sensors” to navigate through the cave. Yossi Yovel Tel Aviv University in Israel and his colleagues designed two experiments to test bat tails.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7ku1o9zajk

In the first experiment, researchers recreated a setup that mimics the interior of a cave, creating a maze with obstacles that resemble the uneven, rocky terrain where bats encounter nature. The team measured how long it took the bat to climb the wall, then raw backwards, first naturally and then anaesthetized the tail to measure how smooth it was.

The bat moved its tail back and forth, feeling the obstacles and went through the maze. However, when researchers anesthetized the bat’s tail, the flying mammals navigated the maze without making it smoother and sailed about 10% slower. But they still do that and suggest that they use other body parts to feel the disorder. “When you walk back you can still feel it in your body and feet,” Jubel says. “It’s clear they can do that, but they’ve reduced performance significantly.”

In the second experiment, the researchers designed a Y-shaped maze that presents two corridors with different raised textures that bats can feel. They used the difference in textures of the two corridors to teach bats that one corridor brought rewards, while the other was not. The texture difference was subtle, but one corridor had lattices every 1.5 centimeters and every 1 cm, but the animals were able to distinguish them.

Other bat species have long tails, but researchers say this is the only known thing to use this unique strategy to find its way in the dark. “I don’t think this is common for long-tailed bats,” Jubel says. But “we really don’t know until we test other bats.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Massive bat die-off triggers surge in pesticide use in the US, contributing to rise in infant mortality rates

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Small brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) suffers from white-nose syndrome, which has devastated bat populations across the United States.

piemags/FWL / Alamy Stock Photo

A study has revealed that a decline in bat populations in the United States, caused by the spread of a fungal disease, has resulted in reduced farm incomes and an additional 1,300 deaths of infants under the age of one.

The research found that in counties affected by bat disease, farmers had to increase their use of insecticides by 31% to make up for the decreased insect predation by bats. Eyal Frank, a researcher at the University of Chicago in Illinois, estimated that farmers in these affected counties lost $27 billion between 2006 and 2017 due to reduced crop sales and higher pesticide costs.

Furthermore, the study observed an 8% increase in the number of infant deaths before the age of one in affected counties, which Frank links to the elevated pesticide usage. He expressed concerns about the inherent toxicity of pesticides, even when used within regulated levels, suggesting potential health hazards.

The white-nose syndrome, discovered in hibernating bats in a New York state cave in 2006, has since spread across North America, resulting in millions of bat deaths. This disease has raised questions about the benefits that bats provide to farmers.

By analyzing agricultural census data, Frank compared counties where white-nose disease was detected by 2017 with those where it hadn’t been identified yet. The results indicated a consistent increase in insecticide usage in affected areas each year post-detection of the disease.

In light of the study findings, the potential link between bat deaths, pesticide use, and higher infant mortality rates was examined. While the results point towards a correlation, the exact mechanism through which increased pesticide use might lead to elevated infant mortality remains unclear.

Experts like Roel Vermeulen from Utrecht University in the Netherlands emphasize the need to broaden human health impact assessments to consider the indirect effects of environmental factors like bat population decline. Moving forward, efforts are required to preserve the vital role wildlife species play in maintaining human health and well-being.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Bat with Unusual Nostrils: A Chirping Hammered Wonder

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Described as a hammerhead bat by the French, this creature’s visage could fit right in with the gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral. Jolly Reid‘s phrase, “pretty ugly,” denotes beauty that challenges conventional norms.

A bizarre amalgamation of Yoda’s ears, the face of a desert orchid racehorse, and a hammerhead bat’s facial features akin to a sea creature’s nostrils characterizes this peculiar animal. Yet, this oddly proportioned being is an evolutionary marvel.

Inhabiting the lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa, it primarily feeds on fruit and flies during the night.

This bat is unique in its use of a lek mating system among bat species. In this competitive display, males strive to impress females, exhibiting an X factor.

During the dry season, twice a year, 150 males assemble, hanging from trees along the river as they flap their foot-long wings and honk, creating a peculiar low-frequency noise escalating to a rapid staccato rhythm of up to 120 “beats” per minute.

Male bats “sing” for hours, vying for female attention, with the most melodious suitor earning the chance to mate, akin to an X factor scenario.

Females are selective, with 6 percent of males involved in 79% of mating interactions. To excel in their melodious endeavors, males have developed specialized adaptations, like a large larynx and resonance chamber further amplifying their calls.

Image credit: Dr. Sarah Olson

Females of this bat species do not engage in singing rituals for mating purposes, resulting in significant physical differences, such as a smaller body and fox-like facial features.

Being one of the most sexually dimorphic bat species globally, hammerhead bats follow a true lek mating system, where females solely care for offspring, giving birth after a six-month gestation period.

With a mix of solitary and social behavior, these bats wrap their wings around their noses while sleeping, offering a unique sight. Fortunately, they are currently categorized as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

However, threats like crop theft by farmers and bushmeat consumption in regions like Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo pose risks to their population.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com