Dave A
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batworker.bsky.social
Dave A
@batworker.bsky.social
Bat ecologist working in the North of England. Ex Museum Curator. Researching use of caves, mines and lime kilns by bats in the Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Reposted by Dave A
🦇 ICYMI
We’ve updated our Bat Ambassador Guide for teachers, interpreters, and anyone sharing bat knowledge. It’s free and packed with outreach tips and Alberta bat info.
Link in comments!
November 10, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Last week we had predominately Brown Long Eared bats swarming, this week Natterer’s 🦇 Male and female Long Eared’s caught inside the swarming site, but only male Natterer’s so far and mainly young of year.
November 8, 2025 at 10:50 AM
November 7, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Reposted by Dave A
🦇ICYMI: a great video on our work developing a "probiotic" to help bats survive white-nose syndrome infections. This beautifully shot video also gives a good primer on what the probiotic is all about. This was 2yrs ago -good news...our studies show the probiotic is working!
youtu.be/VOtuiB6aiLE?...
WCS Bat Probiotics YouTube
YouTube video by WCSCanada Western Bat Program
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Dave A
🦇 Our #podcast #BatChat is back!! Listen to the first episode in your usual platform!
We're starting this exciting new collection of interviews with our President, Chris Packham ! Steve Roe and Chris talk bats, Bills and the battle for Britain’s wildlife.
November 5, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Lime kilns, including smaller field kilns are also used by swarming/mating bats.
November 3, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Reposted by Dave A
Quirks and Quarks takes on the curious story of the European Serotine bat and its mating behaviour. Proof, once again, that bats are often "extraordinary"!
www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks...
These bats copulate for hours with enormous penises but no penetration | CBC Radio
A common serotine bat's penis is seven times longer and wider than the female genital tract. A researcher who specializes in bat reproduction explains how the bats get the deed done.
www.cbc.ca
November 2, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Reposted by Dave A
A new bat coronavirus discovered in Brazil confirms what we already knew: nature handles furin cleavage sites just fine.

Lab leakers, don’t worry, you've got the track record to pivot seamlessly to a career in creative fiction writing.

Quick update on the news:
open.substack.com/pub/protagon...
The Brazilian clue
Or: another L for lab leak believers
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:40 PM
🦇 Tonight - Monday 27th October @batlifeeurope.bsky.social webinar. Thomaz Kokurew will be talking about the past 25 years of bat monitoring at Nietoperek and the effects of climate change. The talk will be held on Zoom at 20:00 CET (19:00 GMT). Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: BLE Webinar - Tomasz Kokurewicz - 25 years of bat monitoring programme in Nietoperek. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining...
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: BLE Webinar - Tomasz Kokurewicz - 25 years of bat monitoring programme in Nietoperek. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining...
us02web.zoom.us
October 27, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Reposted by Dave A
#BatWeek Ireland’s first Species Action Plan (SAP) for #lesserhorseshoebats (2022–2026) marks a major step in protecting this species. The plan, a collaboration between National Parks and Wildlife Service and @vwtireland.bsky.social, is based on research and lays out actions to restore the species.
October 26, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Dave A
📢 New paper from my PhD! 🦇

Using 3D reconstructions of barbastelle bat flight paths over roads, we found that increasing canopy cover leads to lower flight heights, elevating collision risk.

@vincentwt.bsky.social @sussex.ac.uk
#PhD #Bats #Ecology #Conservation

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Increasing canopy cover elevates vehicle collision risk for barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) at roads - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Increasing canopy cover elevates vehicle collision risk for barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) at roads
www.nature.com
October 25, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Bat torpid since before 5th September, which was the first surprise 🦇
October 23, 2025 at 2:53 PM
@thereremouse.bsky.social Hi Morgan, do you have a photo of your “creel” hand net showing a bit of construction detail? We’re planning to build some similar and looking for a bit of design inspiration.
October 22, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Data loggers collected from our 🦇 swarming study site, now to download and see if there’s a correlation between bat position and microclimate.
October 21, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Young of year male Daubenton’s bat freshly arrived at our 🦇 swarming study site. Do they arrive here with their mothers? #bats
October 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Dave A
The ‘pay-to-destroy' Bill, also known as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, returns to @houseoflords.parliament.uk today. The Bill ignores and disregards the need for evidence and will not benefit the economy, our natural heritage or society. Updated briefing here www.bats.org.uk/our-work/bio...
October 20, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by Dave A
Daubenton's bats are now entering hibernation a month earlier than 13 years ago without increasing fat reserves, highlighting shifting survival challenges linked to climate change. doi.org/g955mn
An unexpected reaction to climate change: Daubenton's bats are hibernating for longer
The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping. Numerous animals are migrating south, others are seeking their hibernacula—including bats.
phys.org
October 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Dave A
🌟 1 week to go! 🌟

We are looking forward to our #wingedwednesday #webinar about Laura Torrent's work on the taxonomy and ecological roles of bats in Equatorial Guinea!

📅 Wednesday 22nd October
⏰ 3pm southern Africa | 2pm UK | 9am EDT

🔗 www.batswithoutborders.org/webinars.html

📸 Joxerra Aihartza
October 15, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by Dave A
🦇 vs 🐀
Brown rats are preying on bats at urban hibernation sites – even snatching them mid-air. Conservation efforts must include non-native rodent control at key bat roosts.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 15, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Reposted by Dave A
[NEW PAPER OUT]

🦇 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 !

A deep dive into optimal foraging theory and social foraging through this bat study: flight speed, tolerance to conspecifics, and adjustments in the presence of heterospecifics revealed via 3D tracking.
Foraging flight strategy varies with species identity of co-occurring individuals in bats
The presence of individuals from a different species induces a change in bat's flight strategy, that probably reflects an increase in competitiveness. Inde
academic.oup.com
October 7, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Dave A
🦇 October Giveaway!! Any new members joining this month will be entered in a prize draw for the chance to win this Beaumaris bat box from CJ Wildlife! This would make an amazing Christmas gift or a treat for yourself.

Join today: www.bats.org.uk/membership/s...
October 3, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by Dave A
Proud to present our latest 🦇 paper! Using 13 years of data, we show that hibernation timing has shifted dramatically in two bat species, but in opposite directions 😮

Huge congrats to Gabi, Frauke, and the whole team.

OA in @globalchangebio.bsky.social: dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb....

Highlights in 🧵
One Species Hibernates Shorter, the Other Longer: Rapid but Opposing Responses to Warming Climate in Two Sympatric Bat Species
Hibernation timing is a crucial seasonal transition that directly influences the survival and reproduction of hibernating mammals. Climate change alters key drivers of hibernation phenology, includin...
dx.doi.org
October 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Dave A
New OA 🦇 research 📄

Sex-differences of survival and seasonal dispersal in a meta-population of greater horseshoe bats

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Sex-differences of survival and seasonal dispersal in a meta-population of greater horseshoe bats - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Sex-differences of survival and seasonal dispersal in a meta-population of greater horseshoe bats
www.nature.com
October 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM