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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