Bats

The Friends of Dubois Badlands completed the first of a series of species lists of mammals in the Badlands on the evening of August 16, 2023. A group took a Bat Walk in Byrd Draw to learn about the kinds of bats we have in the Badlands and listen to their squeaks! Thanks to Mason Lee of the Bat Conservation International, we were able to listen to them using an acoustic device to detect the species that are calling nearby and see the display of their calls. It identified 5 species of bats calling (see chart) and we saw hundreds of bats flying, especially along the river as they grabbed dinner from the many hatches of bugs there. This Bat Conservation International (BCI) program is designed to introduce communities to the amazing and beneficial flying mammals that live in their area; it is provided through the Biodiversity Institute of the University of Wyoming who investigate and record these great mammals flying in the Badlands. Information can be found at WYObiodiversity.org/outreach/bat-walks