Bats are not just nocturnal creatures. In addition to flying in the dark and harboring viruses that are deadly to humans, bats are thought to have rich and complex social lives.
Researchers at the University of Chester in England have made some amazing discoveries about bats. These amazing creatures form friendly bonds with their fellow creatures, whom they consider to be “friends.” Apparently, these friendly relationships can develop according to several criteria.
Bats share food with each other.
Bats that get along well also feel free to share food with each other. This is not a behavior unique to a particular group of bats.
In fact, the researchers are monitoring a total of ten populations of these small mammals living in different locations in North Wales. Similar behaviours have been observed in all of these populations.
However, we don’t yet know everything about bats’ social lives. That’s why researchers are developing better monitoring tools. Current GPS systems, such as radio collars for Scottish wildcats, are too heavy for placental mammals.
Revolutionary nanotechnology to track bats soon?
The new monitoring tools will therefore be GPS-autonomous and lightweight. “Our wearable devices will enable, for the first time, the reliable measurement of movements, behaviour and social networks of individual small bats,” explains Dr Christina Stanley, an animal behaviourist.
The latter works alongside PhD student Lucy Morrison, Professor Yu Shi from the University of Leeds, and the Vincent Wildlife Foundation, an organisation focused on mammal conservation in Britain, Ireland and Western Europe.
The development of this nanotechnology is “a revolutionary effort to better understand the needs of wildlife around us.” The ultra-light GPS will not only be used for bats, but also for other small animals around the world.
For bats, this amazing tool will allow remote monitoring of each bat’s movements in real time. This will allow researchers to better monitor the social relationships that exist within groups.
Animal species are protected but affected by human activity.
As in France, all bats are protected by law in England. They are particularly useful within the ecosystem. In particular, they enable the control of insect populations and the pollination of plants by dispersing seeds.
However, protected species status does not make bats completely invulnerable. The main threats they face are high levels of noise and light pollution. These disturbances prevent them from feeding properly.
source : BBC
