©Oriol Massana and Adrià López-Baucells
October 30, 2018
Taking Flight to Save the Planet
- as seen by -
Adria Lopez Baucells
@adria.baucells@Lopez_Baucells@adria.baucells If I were asked to pick a representative bat species from the Amazon, I would choose the Seba’s short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) without hesitation. This bat is one of the most common species in Central Amazon, especially abundant in young forests where they feed on juicy fruits from pioneering plant species like Vismia or Cecropia.
Despite this flying mammal’s essential role in providing some of the most important ecosystem services for human survival on the planet, it is often overshadowed by discoveries of rare and lesser known species. However, the recovery of deforested areas and efficient seed dispersal among many other natural processes in the tropics are undeniably carried out by ordinary, common, and super-abundant species like this one. Seba’s short-tailed bats go to work every night of the year dispersing seeds that are essential for reforestation and reverting the impact that humans inflict on the environment.
It is time to give the short-tailed bat the merit it deserves in global sustainability and wildlife conservation.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The photo above was chosen as one of the top submission for Wild View’s Bat Heroes assignment. Congratulations!
Bat Week 2018 is October 24-31. Be at bat hero and celebrate the role of bats.
Canon EOS 70D, infrared barrier, 4 flashes, gel
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