Batty About Bats!

Thanks to Nature Net Intern Sarah for this guest blog post!


Big brown bats
WI Bat Monitoring Program - wiatri.net

I have a confession to make: I'm batty about bats.

Ever since I was a small child when my father first read Stellaluna to me (the first time of many) after I learned "The Bat Song" at summer camp, I've had a fascination with these flying critters. Most people find them repugnant, but I don't. I LOVE bats! They have a total coolness factor - using echolocation to see in the dark and make maneuvers in the air like no other animal (except, perhaps, the hummingbird, which can hover, fly backwards, and even fly upside-down!) And it's not just because bats are both cool AND (I think) adorable, but they have another purpose as well - they eat my most dreaded enemy, the mosquito. For those of you not yet impressed with bats, take this into account: bats eat enough insects every year to save farmers between 3.7 and 53 billion dollars on pesticides. Now that's a lot of bugs!

I often take long walks at night, looking for the swooping curves and sleek flight patterns of my favored bats. There's just something about watching a bat in flight; they look so unburdened by the world and they move so fast, it's like watching a skilled dancer in the sky. No matter how down I'm feeling, it always manages to lift my spirits.

But to many people, bats are scary creatures. While I think it's somewhat ridiculous, I do understand their fears. First of all, many photos of bats show them hissing at the camera - but this is just an instinctual response to being faced with an unidentified bright glaring obstruction in the middle of an otherwise leisurely flight. Plus, there are some ugly rumors. For one, bats will not fly into or get tangled in your hair unless they are super sick, due to their echolocation using precise sound waves to map obstacles in their flight path. Learn more "bat myths" here! However, I'm not just here to enthuse about bats (although I could go on for pages) - I'm here to say that bats are in danger. Instead of being scared of bats, we should actually be afraid for them. There are two major threats faced by bats these days: one is natural and the other man-made.

The first is white nose syndrome.

Some of you may have heard about white nose; it's a white fungus that usually starts on a bat's nose and then spreads to the wing membranes. Not only does this damage the wing membranes, but it also wakes up bats during hiberation and uses up their hibernation fat. The bats cannot fall back into hibernation and either starve or freeze to death during winter. The horrible thing about this is that white nose is spread through bat-to-bat contact, but also can be spread through boots or human clothing. Since many bats gather to winter in mass caves, the fungus is quickly spreading across the US. Since it was first discovered in the winter of 2006/2007, white nose has already killed over 5.5 million bats. Sad news.

And then there's the man-made danger: wind turbines.

It's not like the bird problem, where the blades cut the poor creatures out of flight... bats and their smart navigational sense can usually avoid the turbines. It's what happens next that's the problem. A bat can dodge a wind turbine blade, but it can't dodge (or even predict) the change in the air pressure that follows the descent of the blade. This air pressure basically crushes the bats' lungs and the bats drown in the air, or it stuns them long enough to get hit by a turbine blade and smacked into the ground. Either way, it's not a pretty way to go. Fortunately, Bat Conservation International (BCI), the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy (NREL) have all teamed up to create the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative (http://www.batsandwind.org/), dedicated to help save our bats while we study and use clean energy.

And just a note: despite my everlasting love for bats, I must warn you that they are wild animals and that you should never pick one up or cuddle it, no matter how cute it may be! Bats can carry diseases that are bad for humans, and getting up close and personal with wild animals in general is a big no-no. If you find a hibernating bat DO NOT WAKE IT. I cannot stress that enough. Waking up a hibernating animal will use up its extra fat reserves which means that it cannot go back into hibernation and it will usually die. Especially with the threats mentioned above, we don't need any more unnecessary bat deaths - especially if we want any relief from mosquito-filled summers!

I hope I've helped improve the reputation of my furry friends - or at least interested you into learning more about these unique and threatened creatures of the night! If so, you may want to check out one of these great events this week, where you are sure to encounter more on these winged wonders:

• Fall Fest at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Friday Oct. 26, 5:30-7:30pm
• Beakers and Broomsticks at the Madison Children's Museum, Friday Oct. 26, 6-9pm
• Haunted Hayride at the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center, Friday and Saturday Oct. 26-27, 6:30-9:30pm
• Halloween at the Farm at Dane County's Schumacher Farm Park, Saturday, Oct. 27, 6-9pm

Looking for more? Here are some links about bats in Wisconsin!

• Saving Wisconsin Bats - DNR page on bats and white nose
• Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Program - learn what you can do to help monitor and protect bats in Wisconsin
• Bats: Information for Wisconsin Homeowners - information on bat-proofing your house as well as alternatives to extermination with general information about Wisconsin bats
• EEK! Critter Corner Wisconsin Bats - website for kids
• White-Nose Syndrome - gives links to educational and government pages on white nose along with a timeline
• White Nose Syndrome - giant resource page for white nose
• National Wildlife Heatlh Center: White Nose - gives information as well as a map to where white nose has been found
• Defenders of Wildlife - Bats - basic facts on bats
• Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative - cooperative to save bats from wind turbines and still keep green
• Organization for Bat Conservation - conservation website with information on bats and bat houses!
• Got a bat in your house? - how to remove a frightened flying creature from your house without damage

Red bat
WI Bat Monitoring Program - wiatri.net

Gliders in the Night

It's a bird? It's a bat? It's a... flying squirrel! Have you ever seen one of these elusive creatures? Being that they are nocturnal, small, and very agile, flying squirrel sightings are relatively rare. If you are fortunate enough to spot one, you are treated to the sight of a very cute and clever little rodent, with giant eyes and cinnamon-colored fur. So where can you find these little guys?

Flying squirrel at a bird feeder
Image courtesy of dnr.wi.gov

In Wisconsin, we are lucky to live amongst two different species of flying squirrels: the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomy sabrinus) and the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomy volans) - click here for a range map. They are difficult to distinguish (adult northerns are larger and browner, while southerns are slightly smaller and grayer), and because they only emerge at night, it is especially difficult to get a good look at their characteristics and coloring. They may den in houses or barns, but are most commonly found in coniferous and mixed forests. This time of year, the little ones born in mid-summer are just being weaned and leaving their nests.

Image courtesy FlyingSquirrels.com

How can you tell a flying squirrel from one of Wisconsin's more commonly-sighted species? First of all, they are only active at night (unless disturbed). They spend their days holed up in a nest in a nook or cranny of a tree, usually guarding their young, grooming and playing. They have slightly smaller tails, which they use as a stabilizer and brake while "flying." They also have large eyes and ears, which help them to navigate in the dark. Finally, look for extra skin folds between their front and back legs. This furry membrane, called a "patagium," is what they use to glide from tree to tree. This amazing acrobat can glide up to 150 feet in one swoop! Unlike bats, which have actual wings, "flying" squirrels are merely gliding - also called "volplaning." They climb high into a tree and leap with their legs extended and patagium outstretched, descending in a gentle curve towards another tree, where they swing upward and land. Watch a glide in action and a really cool slo-mo landing! You may also see northern flying squirrels hopping around on the ground. Even if you have trouble spotting these little leapers, they are quite social, and you can often hear them chatting and scurrying around in the dark.

Although they are nestled up napping most of the day, flying squirrels keep very busy at night - one squirrel can store up to 15,000 nuts in a season! They mainly feast on nuts and seeds, along with fruits, mushrooms, buds, and even eggs, small birds, or carrion. Their predators include cats, foxes, weasels, martens, owls, snakes, and hawks.

For more on these fascinating flyers, visit www.flyingsquirrels.com, to find some awesome videos, images, an art gallery, fun facts, and more! You can also find them on this Wisconsin Forest Wildlife poster and click for more info. Learn how to build a nestbox to see if you can attract these gregarious gliders to your own yard!

A Prairie Birthday

In one of Aldo Leopold's essays in A Sand County Almanac, he discusses the idea of a Prairie Birthday. He points out that each week during the months of April to September gives way to the blooming of new wildflowers on the prairie and how these "birthdays" should be celebrated. There is one particular flower he discusses the most; and while we may have missed the celebration of its first bloom in July, the Compass Plant is still in full bloom.

Silphium Laciniatum

The official name of the compass plant is Silphium laciniatum, but is sometimes referred to as the compass flower or rosinweed. Even though these plants might be related to the sunflower, don't get them mixed up! One major difference between the two plants is the sticky sap, or rosin, you can find in in the compass plant's stem - hence the nickname rosinweed. This rosin was once used by Native American children as chewing gum to clean their teeth and freshen their breath. Compass plants can grow to be around 10 feet tall with leaves that are 15 - 24 inches in length! And for every inch above ground, imagine that their roots are extending about the same distance below! The bright yellow flowers at the top of the stem are more modestly-sized, ranging from 2 to 4 inches across. You can find these lovely plants anywhere in the East-Central region of North America, mostly in tall grass prairies.

Sense of Direction

While the nickname "rosinweed" has an obvious origin, the name "compass plant" might not seem to make much sense with this flower at first. This name derives from the discovery that the leaves on the plant almost always point in the North-South direction (the key words are "almost always" - so don't get rid of your orienteering tools just yet). Once early settlers on the central plains realized this, they were able to use the plants as a guide to help them know where they were going - just like a compass!

Compass Plant at the
Aldo Leopold Nature Center

These plants have a long history in North America, being used as herbal medicines and teas by the Native Americans, and then as compasses by American settlers. No wonder Aldo Leopold was so amazed by these resilient plants! He appreciated these plants as a symbol of Wisconsin's native prairie, and you can enjoy these beauties too. Go exploring in a nearby grassland, prairie, or park. See if their leaves really can point you in the right direction. The Aldo Leopold Nature Center is a great place to begin your quest - their prairie is blooming full of compass plants these days - or take a walk through the UW Arboretum or Olbrich Botanical Gardens for a more extensive feel of the native prairie plants we have here in Wisconsin.

What's That I Smell?

Much to the relief of people around Wisconsin, rain has finally fallen to break this terrible drought! With it has come fresh green grass and flowers, along with something very familiar to us: the smell of rain.

There's something in the air

That smell of fresh fallen rain after an extremely dry couple of days is something so unique, it's hard to not recognize it. In fact, the smell is so unique that it even has it's own name: Petrichor, the smell of rain on dry earth. While we automatically associate this scent with rain, the rain is not what produces it. The smell is actually derived from an oil that is excreted by certain plants during a dry period. This oil is then absorbed by the surrounding soils and rocks. When it rains, this oil is released into the air along with Geosmin, thus producing the well-known aroma.

What is Geosmin?

Geosmin literally means "earth smell" and is an organic compound produced by several different kinds of microorganisms. This scent is very earthy and can be detected by humans in very little concentrations. This compound is what attributes the earthy flavor of beets and the muddy smell of bottom-dwelling freshwater fish (like catfish). Geosmin is most commonly associated with rain and is the main contributor to its smell.

While rain can sometimes put a damper on your outdoor plans, there are still lots of fun things you can do. During a thunderstorm, have your kids count how many seconds it takes for it to thunder after a lightning strike. Every five seconds it takes for the sound to arrive to your ears is how many miles away the heart of the storm is. (Learn more about calculating storm distance here.) After it rains, go on an adventure. Nature can be a completely new place after a good rainfall, so take your kids out on a short hike and have them discuss or record what they see, smell, or hear. Go puddle jumping, rescue earthworms from roadways, or see if you can find any new plants, bugs, or other critters that weren't around before. No matter the weather, there are always things to do in Nature!

The Dog Days Are NOT Over

It's hard not to notice the intense heat wave and severe drought Wisconsin has been having this summer! Every day feels hotter than the next, and the heat doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Despite this year's intensity, this summer heat isn't necessarily anything new; in fact, people have been experiencing hot, hot days for centuries, and even came up with a name: Dog Days.

What Is a 'Dog Day?'

'Dog days' is a term used to refer to the hottest, most humid days of summer. For us in the northern hemisphere, this usually happens during the months of July and August. These are the days where even the thought of stepping outside makes you sweat!

The term 'dog days' comes from the ancient belief that the dog star, Sirius, had something to do with the hot weather. This was because of the fact that Sirius became visible around the same time that summer temperatures began to rise. The star looks to be very close to the sun, so it wasn't uncommon for people to associate the two together. In ancient Rome, Dog Days were originally the days when Sirius rose just before or along with the sunrise. The ancient Egyptians associated the appearance of Sirius with the flooding of the Nile River.

Things to Do

While Wisconsin might be in the middle of some serious (and Sirius) Dog Days right now, that should not discourage you from still getting outside! Enjoy our area's lakes and rent a canoe, kayak, or paddle boat for a different view of the city. The UW Arboretum and Olbrich Botanical Gardens both have amazing opportunities for shady tours, walking, and volunteering. The Henry Vilas Zoo, the Children's Museum, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center, and the UW Geology Museum all offer you a great way to get out of the house and learn about the natural world, but still stay cool in the air conditioned exhibits. Mornings and evenings are great times to enjoy these sites' grounds as well!

Kids cooling off in the marsh at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center

Remember to wear lots of sunscreen whenever you're in the sun, and be sure to drink water so you don't get dehydrated. Heed the heat advisories and keep alert for early signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Take a dip in a lake, river, or pool, or play water games with your little ones. Try to stay away from dark colors and tight clothing as they are more prone to trapping heat; lighter colors will reflect heat better and keep you cooler. You can still enjoy the outdoors, but with this extreme hot weather you can never be too careful!

Nature Net Passport

With half of summer already over, don't forget to pick up a Nature Net Passport for your kids to complete! It features 16 great Nature Net locations with special activities unique to the site and ideas for exploring each one. You can print them out or pick one up at any one of our locations. The goal is to make it to every site before the summer. Stamp your Nature Passport at each location - just like a real passport! Fun facts, journal entries, and drawing spaces allow for an educational, interactive, and memorable experience for your kids. Don't miss out on this great program!



For more information about the Nature Net Passport click here.

Flashes in the Night

At the first sign of darkness you notice it: a small flash of light, lasting only for a second. It's the size of a pea, and sometimes you might think you imagined it. But those little flashes are real, and they belong to none other than the beloved firefly.

The Facts

Source: wikipedia

The firefly, sometimes called a lightning bug, belongs to the family Lampyridae and has around 2,000 different species. These little bugs are a kind of beetle found mostly in temperate and tropical regions with abundant resources for their larvae. Their larvae also emit light and are sometimes referred to as "glow-worms." As you may have noticed, fireflies are able to fly! But despite their name, some species of female fireflies lack the ability.

The "Light" in "Lightning Bug"

What makes a lightning bug glow? One can say for sure that it isn't a tiny light bulb on their behind! Lightning bugs are able to give off light through a process called bioluminescence. This process involves specialized light-emitting organs that are unique to the firefly. These secrete a special chemical that mixes with enzymes, oxygen, and other substances to produce light when in the presence of one another. (Read more about bioluminescence, phosphorescence, and other natural glows in this Nature Net News!)

Attracting Attention

Who doesn't love to watch these critters lighting up the sky as they dart around on a warm summer evening? Yet, fireflies don't just glow for our aesthetic pleasure. They have real biological reasons to give off light: fireflies flash in order to find a mate. The pattern in which they flash is a way of communicating to other fireflies in the area so that they can find each other and reproduce. Males are usually the ones trying to find the females flashing in the foliage, but they must make sure it is an unmated female of its own species... or else it might face something more dangerous.

Some species of females, after mating, become carnivorous man-eaters. Their flashes are then not meant to attract a mate but rather some dinner! Unsuspecting males fly to her thinking they will be lucky enough to reproduce; instead, they find themselves helpless at the hands of a hungry female.

Fireflies are always fascinating, especially to children! So next time you're up late enough to notice them glowing in the dark, grab a net or jar and see how many you can catch. The cooler summer evenings are a great time for kids to enjoy the outdoors, and another fun way to get them excited about nature and living things. You can put your fireflies in a jar and watch them glow, but don't forget to poke a few holes in the lid so they can breathe. After you're done looking at them, be sure to set them free to fly off into the night!

Read more fun facts about fireflies in this Nature Net News. You can also try making your own glow-in-the-dark fireflies - play with them outside or use them to decorate your bedrooms. Have fun!