Halloween's Favorite Mascot - The Bat!
2003年10月28日 - 7:20PM
PRニュース・ワイアー (英語)
Halloween's Favorite Mascot - The Bat! Misunderstood Friend to
People and the Environment NEW YORK, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
Halloween is nigh upon us. It's the night when spirits and bats and
wicked witches take wing. Although witches flying on broomsticks
may be the stuff of lore, bats do live among us during the
Halloween season, and all through the year. "Few critters in the
animal kingdom could use an image makeover more than the
misunderstood bat, says Mike Carr, Executive Director of the
Adirondack Nature Conservancy. "Contrary to ancient myths, bats are
not dangerous. In truth, bats are our allies. Nearly 70% of all bat
species eat insects. Even a small bat can eat up to 1,200
mosquitoes and insects each night." Bats also cross-pollinate many
plant species. They are also considered critical for seed
dispersal. The largest hibernating bat population in the Northeast
can be found in New York State's Adirondack Mountains. Six bat
species, including the endangered Indiana bat and the small-footed
bat are found there. During the winter months, more than 185,000
bats hibernate in a network of abandoned mining shafts. The mines
are on lands owned by International Paper that are protected by the
Nature Conservancy under a conservation easement. Other Adirondack
bats opt to live in trees, under bridges and even in spider webs.
According to the Nature Conservancy, the bat population among the
1,100 different species is declining faster than any other group of
vertebrates in the world. Due largely to man-made threats to their
habitat, 240 bat species are now listed as endangered or
vulnerable. Although bats are among the least studied species in
the world, Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers have made great
strides in tracking the winged mammals and monitoring their health
and movements. They discovered that after hibernating during the
long winter months in the Adirondacks, some of the bats from the
mines migrate east to the Lake Champlain region, Massachusetts, and
Vermont. So, when Halloween night comes along, think kind thoughts
about the gentle bat. He's hard at work doing the job that nature
intended, playing a critical role in a complex web of life.
DATASOURCE: The Nature Conservancy CONTACT: Jane Bartnett or
Maureen Steffens, +1-516-897-9017, both of Bartnett Communications,
Inc., for The Nature Conservancy
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