It hardly feels like the Halloween season without conjuring a familiar, leather-winged critter that's often seen flapping across the High Plains. I'm referencing, of course, Chiroptera—though most of us know them as bats. These flying friends, though often feared, actually play a crucial role in pest control all across the globe. Thanks to their pinpoint echolocation, they manage to consume tons of insects per year, doing more than their fair share to keep infestations at bay. And while they are known to carry viruses on a large scale, it seems they rarely get afflicted themselves (save for the fungal "white-nose syndrome" that's decimated populations of bats). Their fuzzy, bear-like faces and importance to our prairie ecosystem is certainly something worth celebrating this Halloween.
Growing on the High Plains: On Behalf of Bats
