The Social Language of Bats
February 4, 2025
Bats can use sounds in many complex ways. They can sing and even have different dialects… When imagining a bat, the first thoughts that come
With dazzling images of the world’s most colorful bat in the bag, the quest was on to find and photograph the world’s smallest mammal: the Bumblee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongya) aka Kitti’s hog-nosed bat.
The plush Batmobile took us from the northeast about 500 miles (800 km) west to Kanchanaburi, near the border with Myanmar (Burma). Destination: Sai Yok National Park. We’d explore limestone caves along the River Kwai, the habitat of the Bumblebee Bat.
Halfway through our road trip, we stopped at the temple Wat Chant Raram where Daniel suggested we take a look at a roost of Lyle’s Flying Foxes (Pteropus lylei). In spite of the midday sun, Merlin got a pretty nice shot. Within the sanctuary of the temple grounds, the bats knew they were safe.
I’ve included a link, Lyles flying fox camp, to a cleverly created video by our trip sponsor and fearless leader, Daniel Hargreaves, from a trip he took here last year. Daniel captured some courtship behavior. Stay till the end, when the bats fly off into the full moon, with the soothing chants of the monks in the background. Nicely done, Daniel!!! Lyles flying fox camp.
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Bats can use sounds in many complex ways. They can sing and even have different dialects… When imagining a bat, the first thoughts that come
Thanks to all the Join the Nightlife: Bats and Agriculture attendees who joined us out in the field this year! Guests got hands-on experience with
Supporter and friend of MTBC, Australian conservation and animal welfare photojournalist Doug Gimesy, had his images recognized in two categories at the recent Siena International
Fieldwork requires a lot of equipment, but photography requires even more! During our June 2024 photography workshop, we transported over 100 lbs. of equipment —
2024 © Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation. All rights reserved.
Madelline Mathis has a degree in environmental studies from Rollins College and a passion for wildlife conservation. She is an outstanding nature photographer who has worked extensively with Merlin and other MTBC staff studying and photographing bats in Mozambique, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Texas. Following college graduation, she was employed as an environmental specialist for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She subsequently founded the Florida chapter of the International DarkSky Association and currently serves on the board of DarkSky Texas. She also serves on the board of Houston Wilderness and was appointed to the Austin Water Resource Community Planning Task Force.
Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.