PHOENIX — The endangered Mexican long-nosed bat has been detected in Arizona through the utilization of citizen science from residents in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, Bat Conservation International and United States wildlife managers announced last week.
The Mexican long-nosed bat is an important pollinator in Mexico and the Southwest with an appetite for the nectar from agave. They travel long distances from central Mexico into the southwestern United States to follow blooming patterns of their food sources. The brown, furry bats are on the larger side for the region at 2.75-3.75 inches in length with a three-inch tongue for feeding on nectar.
The discovery in southern Arizona expands the migratory species’ previously known range from south-central Mexico to southwest Texas and New Mexico.
Using citizen science to discover bats in Arizona
Historically, biologists would need to catch flying mammals in order to identify them, but this discovery was made with the collaboration of the public and hummingbird feeders…