I noticed some diaries and threads concerning concerning white nose fungus spreading into western states. The health of the world's bat population should be monitored closely. I think the health of bat populations is a microcosm of the human population. Bats very well could be the canary in the coal mine for human existence,

Bats are absolutely fascinating creatures, let's learn, or not, a little about bats and enjoy some funkin' John Scofield.

Chiroptera Bats

The clade Chiroptera includes two extant clades, Megachiroptera (Old World Fruit Bats) and Microchiroptera (echolocating bats). In addition, Chiroptera includes at least four extinct clades that are most closely related to Microchiroptera. There are over nine hundred extant species of bats (Koopman, 1993). Bats vary greatly in size. The smallest bat, Craseonycteris thonglongyai (Microchiroptera), weighs less than 2 g and has a wingspan of 12-13 cm, while the largest bats, those of the genus Pteropus (Megachiroptera), weigh up to 1.5 kg and may have a wing span over 2m (Fenton, 1992).

Bats are unique among mammals as they are the only group to have evolved true powered flight. Some other mammals such as "flying" squirrels and "flying" lemurs can glide through the air for long distances, but they are not capable of sustained flight. In contrast, bats can propel themselves with their wings, gaining and loosing altitude and flying for long periods.

Bats are nocturnal and usually spend the daylight hours roosting in caves, rock crevices, trees, or manmade structures such as houses and/or bridges. Some bats are solitary, while others are found in colonies that may include over a million individuals.

Activity begins around dusk, when bats leave the day roost and start feeding. The clade Chiroptera includes species with very diverse food preferences, including bats that eat either meat, insects, fish, fruit, nectar, or a variety of food types. Only three species of bats actually feed on blood Desmodontinae). Many bats remain at their feeding sites until just before dawn when they return to the day roost.

Overview of United States Bats

In the past, bats (order Chiroptera) have been one of the most feared and misunderstood creatures (fig. TS3D–1). Today, as researchers are beginning to unravel the secrets of the world’s only flying mammals, bats are declining worldwide. Misconceptions and folklore concerning bats have been passed along for generations, and unfortunately, this has led to the senseless killing of colonies of millions of bats, sometimes in a single destructive act. Most bats only produce one pup a year; therefore, recolonizing a decimated population and replenishing a once occupied cave may take decades. With thanks to extensive conservation and education, bats are making a comeback both in the United States and worldwide.

The diversity of bat species, the habitats they occupy, and their behavioral and social features are impressive (Fenton 1997). Occurring worldwide except for the Polar regions and a few isolated islands, there are more than a thousand known bat species, and this number continues to increase (Mickleburgh, Hutson, and Racey 2002; Engstrom and Reid 2003). Some species, such as Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), undertake extensive seasonal migrations. Other species migrate for food, such as the long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris spp.) and the Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana), which are thought to travel along nectar corridors. Species such as endangered gray bats (Myotis grisescens) and Indiana bats (M. sodalis) migrate more locally between summer roosts and winter hibernacula. Elevational migration routes may also occur. They are thought to be a strategy of the spotted bat (Euderma maculatum), which lives in southwestern regions.

I love to teach children how to spot bats. It is actually quite easy to spot bats in the evening sky.

Bats Dying in Unprecedented Numbers

Bats get a bad rap on Halloween with their image synonymous with blood-sucking vampires; however, the real scary thing about bats is that they are disappearing due to a myriad of threats, including pesticides, habitat destruction and the horrible white-nose syndrome (WNS)—a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destructans.

You didn't think I forgot the batshit, did you? Batshit has an image problem, it is actually wonderful stuff. There are few things better than bat guano for cultivating a fast growing annual. Insect eating bats produce a nitrogen rich guano that supports fast vegetative growth, while fruit bats produce a phosphorus rich guano that catalyzes plant blossoms and reproduction.

How To Use Bat Guano As A Fertilizer

Bat guano, or feces, has a long history of use as a soil enricher. It is obtained from only fruit and insect-feeding species. Bat dung makes an excellent fertilizer. It’s fast-acting, has little odor, and can be worked into the soil prior to planting or during active growth. Let’s learn more about how to use bat guano as a fertilizer. What Do They Use Bat Guano For? There are several uses for bat dung. It can be used as a soil conditioner, enriching the soil and improving drainage and texture. Bat guano is a suitable fertilizer for plants and lawns, making them healthy and green. It can be used as a natural fungicide and controls nematodes in the soil as well. In addition, bat guano makes an acceptable compost activator, speeding up the decomposition process.

Guano is big business.

The Guano Islands
Bird Turds and the Beginnings of U.S. Overseas Territories

In the mid-nineteenth century, explorers headed out to sea, hoping to claim new islands for the United States. One seemed promising: “These islands are small, high and rocky, barren and uninviting to the last degree, yet out of them has come wealth to stagger the dreams of oriental imagination.” 1 These islands held an extremely valuable resource. With high levels of both phosphorus and nitrogen, it was excellent for crops. In his 1850 State of the Union, President Millard Fillmore said this resource had “become so desirable an article to the agricultural interest of the United States that it is the duty of the Government to employ all the means properly in its power for the purpose of causing that article to be imported into the country at a reasonable price.” 2 This article would enable American farmers to produce on a larger scale, at a time when farming was undergoing vast changes as a result of the Industrial Revolution. This prized new resource was guano.

That’s right. American explorers were looking for islands filled with bird poop. They were not the first to think of using guano as a fertilizer. Guano had been harvested and used for centuries. In fact, the word “guano” comes from the Quichua language of the Inca Empire. It is most commonly found in islands in the Caribbean. The conditions in the islands near present-day Peru were perfect for forming large deposits of guano. A large sea bird population meant there was plenty of excrement settling on the ground. What really made the islands perfect, however, was the extreme dry heat. This enabled the guano to dry out and solidify—making it perfect for harvesting. For the Incans, guano was a highly prized fertilizer. Disturbing sea birds (and thereby disrupting the process of making guano) was punishable by death.

When guano imperialists ruled the earth

Because no day is complete without further investigation of fertilizer’s historic role in the evolution of the global economy, How the World Works intends to brighten your Friday with some deep thoughts on bird poop.

Specifically, Peruvian guano.

Glenn Davis Stone, a professor of anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, whose fascinating work on the uptake of genetically modified cotton by Indian farmers has been featured here previously in “Ganesh and Brahma Bow to a New God” and “The Napster Pirates of Transgenic Biotech,” writes in to remind us of President Millard Fillmore’s State of the Union address in 1850.
Peruvian guano has become so desirable an article to the agricultural interest of the United States that it is the duty of the Government to employ all the means properly in its power for the purpose of causing that article to be imported into the country at a reasonable price.

From which followed the passage of the Guano Islands Act, which authorized U.S. imperialist expansion in search of guano.

You can't make this shit up. Have a great funkin' weekend.