Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Craig Newberry, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo The days are growing darker across the Pacific Northwest and while the night can be creepy, one creature you shouldn't fear in the dark is bats! These misunderstood mammals play a significant role in keeping our environment healthy. In fact, there are numerous reasons to be a fan of bats; for instance, many of them eat mosquitoes and they're super cool. Little brown bat. Photo: J.N. Stuart via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwildlife/4770991513/ Bat Week is an international celebration of these flying mammals that takes place October 24-31, and it's no mystery why the party ends on Halloween. Bats have long gotten a bad rap, being lumped in with bloodsucking vampires and depicted in movies bombarding folks who wander into a creepy cave. However, you may be surprised to learn that bats aren't particularly active in the Pacific Northwest during the spooky season. Here, ...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications It's Bat Week!  October 24-31 is an international celebration of the vital role that bats play in nature. It’s an opportunity to look at all the good things these misunderstood mammals do to keep our environment healthy—and to take action to keep THEM safe! So, let's show some bat-love for our flying (and mostly nocturnal) friends! Check out the "fingers" on the wing (a modified hand) of this Indian flying fox! Photo: Dennis Dow/Woodland Park Zoo Bats are super cool! Bats are the only mammal that can truly fly (although some other mammals “glide”). A bat’s wing is actually a modified hand—similar to yours. They also come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny, adorable bumblebee bat that weighs less than a penny to the big, beautiful flying foxes that can have a wingspan of up to six feet. Little brown bat. Photo: J.N. Stuart via Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwildlife/4770991513/ Bats eat tons of “pests”.  It...