12/26/19
By Daniel Hargreaves
We arrived at sunset at the OurLand Nature Reserve in Kanchanaburi Province, our home for the next 5 days. We quickly set up a few mist nets and a harp trap and were rewarded with a brace of lesser false vampire bats (Megaderma spasma) and several cave nectar bats (Eonycteris spelaea). Merlin took the opportunity to show the group how to train a bat. Unfortunately, the chosen bat was unusually difficult. However, just over an hour later it eagerly permitted Merlin to approach, enticing it to drink from a syringe filled with sugar water.
The next morning, we climbed 200 steps above a monastery to reach two caves occupied by Buddhist shrines in search of roosting bats.
Initially, we captured a long-winged tomb bat (Taphazous longimanus) but as the group was looking at that one, I netted two bumblebee bats (Craseonycteris thonglongyai). Both were females weighing around two grams. They were delicately held by group participants while I explained the species’ anatomy, ecology, and conservation status.
The post Thai Adventures Part 3: Cave Bats appeared first on Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation.
This post first appeared on Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation - Official, please read the originial post: here
