Photo: BLM Emma Busk
The Bureau of Land Management’s annual Bat Beauty Contest is back! Hometown Oregon batters are here to defend their crown and win for the third year in a row.
Every October, the BLM hosts a beauty contest to find the most spectacular bat photographed on BLM public lands in the county. The event begins on October 24th and ends on Halloween. The day also coincides with International Bat Week, which raises awareness about bat conservation and the important role they play in nature.
This year, two Oregon bats will be participating in the contest. Hoary Potter, a lively male Hoary bat, will compete in the first round of the contest on October 24th. The long-eared Myotis bats, Honey Bunches of Myotis, will compete in the second round of the contest on October 25th.
BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, primarily in 11 Western states and Alaska. Other states are working hard to end batty three peat. You can help Oregon bring home the crown by voting on the BLM National Facebook page or the BLM National Instagram page.
Last year, William Shakespeare, a female Townsend’s flying fox from Butte Falls, was crowned on the afternoon of October 31st. In the final round, she defeated Allen the flying fox Gizmo. William’s photo was taken by BLM wildlife technician Emma Busk.
The previous year, BLM named Barbara, a canyon bat from Lake County, the 2022 bat beauty pageant winner. Barbara’s photo was taken by BLM wildlife biologist Kate Yates.
Both of this year’s bats were photographed by Basque.
“It’s important to fact-check what we think we know about bats,” Bask says. “There are many myths about bats, but they are amazing wildlife and contribute greatly to our ecosystem.”
Bats play an important role in Oregon. All bats in the Pacific Northwest are insectivorous, meaning they rid the world of pests like mosquitoes, beetles, and moths. Just one bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.
Want to play your part? As winter approaches, avoid exploring mines and caves where bats may be hibernating.
“You can build a bat house in your own backyard!” said Emma. “It’s a shelter for bats during the winter. You can also make your garden bat-friendly by planting native flowers to attract insects and turning off unnecessary lights. Light pollution It’s not good for bats.”
Want to get involved? Follow the Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management on Facebook (@BLMOregonAndWashington) or Instagram (@BLMOregonWashington). Share how you can support Oregon’s native species by voting for Hoary Potter and Myotis’ Honey Bunch.
Source: BLM
