In a conservation first made possible by volunteers, scientists, and a splash of tequila, the lesser long-nosed bat is no longer endangered—the first U.S. bat species to officially recover from the imminent threat of extinction.

“The science clearly shows threats to the bat have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the bat has recovered,” said Amy Lueders, the southwest regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a statement. “The Service is proud of our strong, decades-long partnerships with very diverse stakeholders on behalf of the lesser long-nosed bat. Without partnerships and collaborations such as these, successful recovery would not be possible.”

The lesser long-nosed bat is one of three bat species in the United States that feeds on nectar. One of the species’s major subpopulations migrates between the United States and Mexico. They mate and wait out the winter in southern and central Mexico, roosting together by the thousands to keep warm. In the spring, they migrate north to northern Mexico and southern Arizona, giving birth in many-female “maternity caves.”

Fly Up Close to a Long-Nosed Bat in Hypnotic Slow-Mo

The bats colonize a string of caves and abandoned mines along an agave-rich “nectar trail” from southern Mexico to Arizona. For decades, these roosts—and the bats within them—were under serious threat.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, drug and human traffickers operating on the U.S.-Mexico border regularly made use of the caves, disturbing the bats and sometimes killing them outright. Recreational cavers also spooked the bats, and vandals harassed them.

What’s more, Mexico’s efforts to control vampire bats—which can transmit rabies—had too often spilled over into killing other bat species. And the bats’ favorite foods, the pollen and nectar from agave plants and cacti, were getting harder and harder to find.

These various indignities took their toll. When the species was declared endangered in 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that the bats were down to fewer than a thousand individuals, strewn across only 14 known roosts in the U.S. and Mexico.

Binational Bats

For the last three decades, however, the U.S. and Mexico have cooperated to bring the lesser long-nosed bat back from the brink. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are some 200,000 bats living in at least 75 roosts between the two countries.

“This is a great example of binational conservation collaboration—of people working on both sides of the border to not just monitor but also take actions to protect this species,” says National Geographic explorer Winifred Frick, the chief scientist for Bat Conservation International.

Government agencies in the U.S. and Mexico worked to protect agaves and other food sources, such as saguaros. Conservation groups built “bat gates” that prevented humans from entering caves and abandoned mines that the bats had made their home. And volunteers across southern Arizona regularly called in whenever the bats fed on their hummingbird feeders, giving scientists regular updates on the animals’ range.

In 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended relabeling the lesser long-nosed bat from endangered to threatened. In 2008, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature made a similar move, upgrading the species from Vulnerable to Near Threatened status. And by 2015, Mexico removed the bat from its endangered species list.

In January 2017, the U.S. first announced its intent to follow suit, a decision finalized on April 17, Bat Appreciation Day. Officials have drafted a plan to monitor the bat species, to be sure that its recovery sticks—an effort buoyed by Mexico’s tequila producers.

Bat-Friendly Tequila

To make tequila from agave, the plant must be harvested before it flowers, to ensure that the plant’s valuable sugars remain in its piña, its iconic, spiky base. Bats can’t feed on these flowerless agave—a cruel irony, since bats are agave’s natural pollinators.

TIL: If You Like Tequila, You Should Love Bats. Here’s Why.

National Geographic explorer Rodrigo Medellín, who has tirelessly worked to conserve the lesser long-nosed bat, has helped solve this quandary. A program he recently started certifies tequila producers as “bat-friendly” if they let some of their agave plants flower, effectively serving them up as bat food. (Learn more about bats and tequila.)

These and other efforts will be needed to secure a future for the lesser long-nosed bat, as well as its relatives. Frick emphasizes that the Mexican long-nosed bat, a closely related species, remains endangered—in large part because it has a less flexible, agave-heavy diet than the lesser long-nosed bat.</s>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Wildlife managers in the American Southwest say a once-rare bat important to the pollination of plants used to produce tequila has made a comeback and is being removed from the U.S. endangered species list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement Tuesday made the lesser long-nosed bat, which ranges from Mexico to southern Arizona and New Mexico, the first bat ever removed from the nation’s list of threatened and endangered species.

The decision comes a year after first being proposed and three years after Mexico delisted the animal, which depends on the nectar of agaves, cactuses and other flowering plants.

It has taken 30 years of conservation efforts by biologists and volunteers in both countries as well as tequila producers and agave growers in Mexico to rebuild a healthy population.

There were once thought to be fewer than 1,000 lesser long-nosed bats in 14 known roosts throughout the region. Now, there are about 200,000 of the nectar-feeding animals and dozens of roost sites.

With the population trending upward, regional officials with the Fish and Wildlife Service say the science shows threats to the bat have been eliminated or reduced to the point where they can consider the species recovered.

In Mexico, tequila producers who rely on agaves are integrating more harvest and cultivation practices in recognition of the bats being key pollinators. Some are marketing “bat-friendly tequila.”

In southern Arizona, residents for a decade have monitored bats’ nighttime use of hummingbird feeders. It provided biologists with a clearer understanding of migration timing and allowed for the opportunity to capture bats and affix radio transmitters that aided in finding roost sites.

Scientists and state wildlife managers describe the delisting as a conservation success that resulted from decades of work.

“The story of the lesser long-nosed bat shows that conservation and science can work together to provide species the chance to recover and persist,” Winifred Frick, chief scientist at Bat Conservation International, said in a statement.

To ensure the bats continue to thrive, the Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing a monitoring plan that will focus on roosting sites and availability of forage.

Federal land managers in New Mexico and Arizona, including at the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca, already are including forage plants such as agaves, saguaros and other cactuses in their resource management plans to help the species.

Limiting human access to caves with roost sites and abandoned mines in the U.S. also has benefited bat populations.

Recovery efforts have included education aimed at changing attitudes about bats and improving identification of different species. Historically, the lesser long-nosed bat was a victim of campaigns to control vampire bats over rabies concerns and their effects on livestock.

In reviewing the species, biologists considered the potential effects that climate change may have on the “nectar trail” that the bats follow as they migrate. They say the bat is flexible and adaptive enough to remain viable under changing conditions.</s>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is suggesting that the lesser long-nosed bat be removed from Endangered Species Act protections. The tiny mammal — responsible for pollinating agave plants — has reportedly recovered from near extinction. The lesser long-nosed bat was originally listed in 1988 when there were fewer than 1,000 in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Today, there are about 200,000.

“The science clearly shows threats to the bat have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the bat has recovered,” Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest regional director Amy Lueders said in a release. “The Service is proud of our strong, decades-long partnerships with very diverse stakeholders on behalf of the lesser long-nosed bat. Without partnerships and collaborations such as these, successful recovery would not be possible.”

International repopulation efforts are credited to biologists and researchers; state, federal, and tribal entities; non-governmental organizations; and tequila producers, who are “increasingly integrating harvest and cultivation practices,” to help safeguard the bat’s population. This is especially important because tequila production relies on these specific bats for pollination. These creatures even inspired a movement toward eco-conscious “bat-friendly” tequila — if you see this message on a product label, it means that the plant was naturally pollinated.

Southern Arizona residents have also assisted by monitoring bats’ nighttime use of hummingbird feeders for a full decade. This gave biologists get a better understanding of migration timing. The residents also helped capture bats and affix radio transmitters to them to lead them to their roosting and foraging sites, many of which are managed by federal agencies.

These entities — the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca — have reportedly integrated the bat’s forage plants (agaves, and saguaro and organ pipe cacti) into their land use and resource management plans. They’ve also made an effort to deter human disturbance in caves and abandoned mines where bats are found. This includes the installation of special gates that allow the pollinators to enter and exit at their leisure, yet prohibit human traffic.

As the Fish and Wildlife Service continues to monitor lesser long-nosed bats, it is expected that the animal will be officially removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 30 days after its the proposal is published in the Federal Register. Thanks to successful conservation efforts, lesser long-nosed bats are now more likely to survive their full natural lifespan — which can last multiple decades, making bats some of the world’s longest-lived animals for their size.</s>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Wildlife managers in the American Southwest say a once-rare bat important to the pollination of plants used to produce tequila has made a comeback and is being removed from the federal endangered species list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the delisting of the lesser long-nosed bat Tuesday, making it the first bat ever removed from the nation's list of threatened and endangered species.

The decision comes a year after first being proposed in the U.S.

FILE--This 2013 file photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife shows nectar-feeding lesser long-nosed bats attracted to a hummingbird feeder during a citizen science bat migration monitoring project in southern Arizona. Wildlife managers in the American Southwest say a once-rare bat important to the pollination of plants used to produce tequila has made a comeback and is being removed from the federal endangered species list. (Richard Spitzer/U.S. Fish and Wildlife via AP, file)

Federal officials say it has taken 30 years of conservation efforts by biologists and volunteers in Mexico and the U.S., as well as tequila producers in Mexico to rebuild a healthy population.

Now, there are about 200,000 of the nectar-feeding animals and dozens of roost sites.</s>Wildlife managers in the American Southwest say a once-rare bat important to the pollination of plants used to produce tequila has made a comeback and is being removed from the federal endangered species list.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the delisting of the lesser long-nosed bat Tuesday, making it the first bat ever removed from the nation's list of threatened and endangered species.The decision comes a year after first being proposed in the U.S.Mexico delisted the bat in 2015.Federal officials say it has taken 30 years of conservation efforts by biologists and volunteers in Mexico and the U.S., as well as tequila producers in Mexico to rebuild a healthy population.Now, there are about 200,000 of the nectar-feeding animals and dozens of roost sites.</s>WASHINGTON (CN) — With bats — important pollinators and insect pest controllers — under siege from white-nose syndrome, the Chiroptera animal order got some rare good news Tuesday, when the Fish and Wildlife Service said the lesser long-nosed bat has recovered sufficiently to be removed from the endangered species list.

It is the first bat to be delisted due to recovery, Fish and Wildlife said.

White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease, has devastated bats around the country, even as other important pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are struggling with problems of their own, some naturally induced, some the result of pesticides.

White nose syndrome is not a significant threat to the lesser long-nosed bat, as the disease affects mainly hibernating bats, and the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yuerbabuenae) does not hibernate.

Grazing, development, roost destruction, vandalism and squatting in caves, improper agave harvesting, vampire bat control methods, invasive species and fire are some of the major threats to this species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service led a collaborative conservation effort for three decades to bring this nectar-feeding migratory bat back from the brink of extinction.

Numbering fewer than 1,000 in only 14 known roosts when it is was listed as endangered in 1988, Fish and Wildlife estimates there are 200,000 lesser long-nosed bats today at 75 roosts in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico.

“The recovery of the amazing lesser long-nosed bat shows the Endangered Species Act is working,” Michael Robinson, conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, told Courthouse News in an email.

“This landmark conservation law has saved more than 99 percent of species given its protections from extinction. And it’s put hundreds more, including this amazing flying mammal, on the road to recovery.”

Bats, never a popular endangered species such as cute panda bears or impressive whales, nevertheless perform important functions for humans, including pollination and mosquito control. Some animal ethologists think a single bat can consume nearly its body weight in mosquitoes each night.

The less long-nose’s recovery team includes biologists, researchers in the United States and Mexico, tribal, state and federal entities such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Army’s Fort Huachuca, nongovernmental organizations, citizen scientists and even Tequila producers in Mexico, the agency says.

The bats are vital to the Tequila industry, as they pollinate and disperse seeds of the agave cactus, used for Tequila. Mexican producers integrated harvest and cultivation practices to support the bats and even market “bat-friendly Tequila.”

Tequila, like Champagne, is produced only in one geographic region, in Tequila’s case, the Mexican state of Jalisco. Agave-based liquor produced outside of Jalisco therefore cannot be called Tequila. In the state of Oaxaca, it is called mezcal.

Educating the public about the value of bats has been a vital component in their recovery. Destruction of bat roosts due to fear of bats has been reduced due to public education and installation of bat access gates designed by Bat Conservation International, which prevent people from getting into the roosts.

Mexico’s public education campaign helped its livestock industry distinguish between the lesser long-nosed bat and vampire bats, which feed upon cattle. As a result of changing attitudes, Mexico was able to remove the lesser long-nosed bat from its endangered species list in 2015.

Citizen scientists in Southern Arizona monitored nighttime bat use of hummingbird feeders and helped biologists capture and fit the bats with radio transmitters, which helped researchers understand the bats’ migrations and find their roosting sites so they could be protected.

“The science clearly shows threats to the bat have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the bat has recovered,” said Fish and Wildlife’s Southwest regional director Amy Lueders.

“The Service is proud of our strong, decades-long partnerships with very diverse stakeholders on behalf of the lesser long-nosed bat. Without partnerships and collaborations such as these, successful recovery would not be possible.”

Environmentalists noted that Fish and Wildlife has been challenged by the time constraints of the Endangered Species Act and the agency’s chronic underfunding.

As often as not, the federal government does not list a species for protection without a lawsuit, and this case is no different.

Though usually conservation groups sue the agency to get imperiled species listed, in this case New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and others sued in 2015 to compel Fish and Wildlife to act on its own recommendation to downlist the bats from endangered to threatened in its 2007 five-year review.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, on behalf of ranchers and farm bureaus, petitioned the agency in July 2012 to act on the downlisting recommendation in the five-year review. In September 2013, Fish and Wildlife published a 90-day petition finding that the downlisting action was warranted.

The cattle growers sued two years later in the absence of further action by the agency. The case was settled with the stipulation that a 12-month finding would be published by the end of 2016. Fish and Wildlife published the finding and the proposed delisting of the bats in January 2017.

Since the bats are found mainly on public lands in the United States, its endangered status conflicted with grazing rights. Even a downlisting would have benefited the ranchers, because a special rule available with threatened species, but not with endangered species, would allow ranchers more livestock grazing on land in the bat’s range.

Now that the bats are delisted, margarita drinkers who understand the importance of pollinator species can celebrate.

The delisting of the lesser long-nosed bat will be effective 30 days from the expected publication date of the final rule on Wednesday, April 18. Fish and Wildlife is working on a post-delisting monitoring plan, to ensure the bats continue to thrive.</s>The United States has watched some iconic native birds disappear during the past 100 years or so, including the passenger pigeon, the Carolina parakeet, the heath hen, the dusky seaside sparrow and possibly the ivory-billed woodpecker.

The Kirtland's warbler almost joined them, driven to the brink of extinction last century by habitat loss and nest parasites. Its decline was so dramatic that it became one of the original species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1967.

But now, thanks to that protection and decades of work by conservationists, this tiny warbler is no longer in crisis. It's still on the endangered species list, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has formally proposed "delisting" the species due to its recovery. This comeback is being widely hailed as yet another triumph of wildlife conservation under the ESA.

"This is a story of success," says Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, in a statement. "Habitat loss and nest parasitism nearly drove the Kirtland's warbler to extinction. But thanks to the collaboration and scientific research that the Endangered Species Act requires, we were able to recover this songbird for future generations."

The Kirtland's warbler would likely be extinct if not for the Endangered Species Act, conservationists say. (Photo: Andrew Cannizzaro/Flickr)

The Kirtland's warbler is a 6-inch songbird with a bluish-gray back and a bright yellow breast. It nests in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario, and migrates along the Southeastern U.S. coast to its wintering habitat in the Bahamas.

It has very specific nesting criteria, resulting in one of the smallest breeding ranges of any North American migratory songbird. It nests only on the ground during spring, near low-hanging branches in large stands of young jack pine trees, which must be 5 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 22 years old. The age of a tree is critical, the FWS explains, although biologists aren't really sure why. It's possible the birds need low branches near the ground to help conceal their nests. Before jack pine trees reach 6 years old, the lower branches aren't large enough to hide the nest, and after about 15 years, the lower branches begin to die.

Wildfires, like this one in Michigan's Huron-Manistee National Forests, are important for Kirtland's warbler nesting habitat. (Photo: U.S. Forest Service)

These requirements may sound nitpicky, but they worked well for the species until relatively recently. Large stands of jack pines are plentiful in northern Michigan's sandy soils, where they were historically scorched by wildfires every few decades. Fire is required for jack pine cones to fully release their seeds, so these periodic blazes helped remove older trees while also encouraging the growth of new saplings. This ensured a supply of 6- to 22-year-old trees for the warblers to use as nesting sites.

In the 20th century, however, humans unwittingly broke this cycle by suppressing wildfires, which were once thought to harm the environment. This loss of vital nesting habitat was compounded by another threat: the brown-headed cowbird, a brood parasite that replaces its host's eggs with its own, tricking the host parents into raising its chicks. It's a native bird, not an invasive species, but its trickery combined with the loss of habitat proved too much for Kirtland's warblers to handle on their own.

A male Kirtland's warbler sings from a jack pine tree in Michigan. (Photo: Joel Trick/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

The warblers were among the first U.S. wildlife identified as being at risk of extinction, prompting their addition to the country's inaugural endangered list in 1967. The entire population of Kirtland's warblers fell to a low of 167 pairs in 1974, and again in 1987, before the revival built up steam. State and federal authorities developed a long-term plan to conserve young jack pines, and to trap brown-headed cowbirds within the warblers' habitat. By 2011, this had helped the species rebound to a record high of 1,828 pairs, surpassing the recovery goal of 1,000. As of the most recent count in 2015, there were more than 2,000 pairs.

In light of this comeback, the FWS is proposing the warbler be delisted as a federally endangered species. It will accept public comments on the proposal until July 11, and make a final decision by April 2019.

But while this would remove the Kirtland's warbler from the U.S. endangered species list, the FWS notes the birds will still need protection indefinitely. The nonprofit Kirtland's Warbler Alliance will help raise funds to cover the annual costs of conservation programs, the Associated Press reports, while the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will take over cowbird control from the FWS. If these management efforts continue, the population of Kirtland's warblers is expected to remain stable for 50 years.

And as some U.S. lawmakers decry the ESA as unnecessary, many conservationists say the Kirtland's warbler offers further proof the law is still working — as it already did for other recovered species, like American alligators, bald eagles and brown pelicans. "This pretty little songbird's amazing comeback from the brink of extinction is a testament to the success of the Endangered Species Act," says Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. "Contrary to the self-interested claims of congressional Republicans, this 45-year-old law is working to save species.

"Without it," he adds, "we would have lost the warbler forever."

Related on MNN: North America has millions of utility markers. This biologist sees millions of birdhouses.</s>If you have ever been inside an old house with a bat screeching through the rooms you will understand this story. You have never seen the true identity of your friends and family until you have seen them running away from a swooping bat.

Today is International Bat Day , and we could probably post a bunch of bat fun facts on their habits and benefits to the world. Instead of highlighting the great traits bats have to offer I would like to highlight the fact they are insanely creepy.

Spiders, snakes, rats, and mice may be scary, but at least they can't fly like bat's.

I grew up in a old house that had bats in the attic, and I had a bat living in the garage of my newer house. I have also been at a house party or two when a bat decided: " snacks and dancing sounds like fun I will fly down and see what everyone's up to."

Now we all know we should never harm mother nature and this disclaimer can cool the keyboards of all bat advocates.

Just for make believe scenario sake and a What If's type of game let's play Choose Your Weapon Wisely.

Here is your scenario: A bat flies down the chimney and has taken to the air making the rounds, what do you choose as your weapon to bring him down?
• Baseball Bat: A bat to take on a bat is a bad pick, unless your major league material. You will more than likely connect with a vase or innocent bystander's face before the bat.
• Tennis Racket: This is a much better choice. No wind resistance with this one and a good surface to work with ace.
• Frying Pan: Good surface area but the awkwardness of the weight and the handle make it hard to handle.
• Pillow Case: I've seen it used, and wouldn't recommend it. The catch and release mentality is sweet, but unless you speak bat he wont get the message he's suppose to fly in the pillow case. But if you are looking for a good laugh give this weapon to the person most afraid of bats.
• Bed Sheet: Great choice Jedi. This catch and release idea will work, but might take two people running the sheet. You can cover a lot of space with this weapon of champions as well.
• Cookie Sheet: This is not a bad choice but is not the best. You have the ability to cover more space, but the width of the pan causes a lot of air drag and timing is tough with this one.
• Befriend the Bat: This will be the best option for you conscience. You send an invitation up the attic and invite the bat to join you and your family for an evening of Cribbage and cocktails. Come on it is International Bat Day lets give it a try. Happy Bat Day.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bats are the longest-lived mammals relative to body size, and a species called the greater mouse-eared bat lives especially long. Researchers now have unlocked some of this bat's longevity secrets, with hints for fighting the effects of aging in people.

 Scientists said on Wednesday that unlike in people and most other animals, in this bat species the structures called telomeres located at the end of chromosomes, thread-like strands inside a cell's nucleus that carry genes determining heredity, do not shorten with age.

 Only 19 mammal species are longer-lived than humans relative to body size. Eighteen of them are bats, some living more than four decades. The other is a weird African rodent called a naked mole rat.

 The researchers identified two genes in the greater mouse-eared bat that may be responsible for its unique longevity adaptation. These mechanisms could be the focus of future studies on aging, with an eye toward extending healthy lifespans in people, the researchers said.

 Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten each time a cell divides. This drives the natural aging process, leading to a breakdown of cells that over time can drive tissue deterioration and eventually death.

 "Studying exceptionally long-living mammals that have naturally evolved mechanisms to fight aging is an alternative way to identify the molecular basis of extended 'health spans,'" said biologist Emma Teeling of University College Dublin in Ireland, one of the study leaders. "Bats are an exciting new model species that will enable us to identify new molecular mechanisms that drive healthy aging."

 The researchers studied 493 individual bats from four species: the greater mouse-eared bat and Bechstein's bat, both members of the bat genus called Myotis; the greater horseshoe bat; and the common bent-wing bat. Of these, the greater mouse-eared bat had the longest lifespan, about 37 years.

 The greater mouse-eared bat and the closely related Bechstein's bat had telomeres that did not shorten with age, suggesting that Myotis bats share this characteristic. Another Myotis bat, Brandt's bat, holds the bat longevity record of 41 years. 

 Based on body size, the greater mouse-eared bat would be predicted to have a maximum lifespan of four years. Its range spans from Western Europe into the Middle East. It preys on large, ground-dwelling creatures like beetles, crickets and spiders.

 The research was published in the journal Science Advances.

 

 (Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Sandra Maler)
The lesser long-nosed bat, once on the brink of extinction, is removed from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered mammals and birds. It is the first U.S. bat species to officially recover from the imminent threat of extinction.