Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation monitoring bats

When you hear the word bats, you may think of vampires, Batman or even rabies. Nevertheless, the winged mammals are vital to the Southwest Florida ecosystem.

Some bats live on Sanibel, and while their population is declining, not much more is known about the species.

“You can’t even hear some of these with the human ear,” said Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation wildlife biologist Mike Mills.

However, wildlife experts use a box capable of picking up the ultrasonic sound waves bats use when navigating their environment with echolocation. Mills has four of those boxes spread around Sanibel.

“And we have software that can now analyze the sound waves and could tell us what species of bat it is,” said Mills.

It also tells us whether the sound is related to hunting, mating or another social cry. It’s all part of a project in partnership with Zoo Tampa to see what bats are on Sanibel and in what numbers.

“Besides the fact that we know some are here? Not much,” said Mills.

However, the decreasing bat population in Sanibel and everywhere else has been documented.

“Because they’re losing their habitat, you know; we keep developing over their homes,” said Mills.

You may want to think twice about cutting down dead palm fronds. That’s because the Florida bonneted bat, one of the most endangered mammals in the country, loves dead palm fronds.

“So if we can figure out they’re there, then we can start, you know, actually shaping the habitat to what the bats like,” said Mills.

Bats provide a natural source of pest control, pollinate plants and disperse seeds. You don’t know the full impact of losing a species until it’s gone, and by then, it can be too late.

Click here to learn more about the work SCCF is doing to monitor bats.