Entry #002: Those That Take Flight Under the Cover of the Night
Late October: when the days are shorter, and the night creeps in just a little faster. The darkness ushers in the presence of Barbados’ nocturnal creatures, where one is greeted by the distinct chirruping of the Barbados whistling frog (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei) and the persistent chirping of crickets.
The night also brings out the world’s only flying mammal. Flittering around in the dusky skies, one is guaranteed to be treated to the seemingly erratic flying of bats (Chiropterans).
Information on bat research in Barbados was obscure, and I was only able to only find a handful of studies which solely focused on our species in scientific literature. Hugh Genoways and other researchers conducted field studies in 2007 & 2008 in Barbados during the summers, and are responsible for most of the publicly available data we have on our island’s bats today
These studies revealed that Barbados had six different species of bats, these being: the Greater Fishing bat (Noctilio leporinus), Insular Single-leaf bat (Monophyllus plethodon), Antillean fruit-eating bat (Brachyphylla cavernarum), Jamaican fruit-eating bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), Schwartz’s myotis (Myotis nyctor), and the Pallas's Mastiff bat (Molossus molossus) (Figure 1).
Noctilio leporinus, greater fishing bat (upper left corner); Monophyllus plethodon, insular single-leaf bat (upper right corner); Brachyphylla cavernarum, Antillean fruit-eating bat (middle row left); Artibeus jamaicensis, Jamaican fruiteating bat, (middle row right); Myotis nyctor, Schwartz’s myotis (lower left corner); Molossus molossus, Pallas's mastiff bat (lower right corner). (Genoways et al 2011).
These species were found to be distributed across the island, and thanks to Barbados’ unique limestone geology, there are an array of gullies and caves on the island for bats to take refuge in.
Wanting to find some active bat research taking place, I decided to put some feelers out. As fate had it, there was an upcoming mist net survey taking place on the island within the next week of me searching. Coincidentally, it landed at the beginning of Bat Week (24th-31st of October) and thankfully I had the privilege of joining.
Date: 24/10/2024
Location: North of the Island
Time: 6 PM
Temperature: 28 degrees Celcius
Procedure & Observations
I wouldn’t usually recommend walking down a remote cane-field track on your own in the dark, but as I made my way down the path from the main road to meet the survey team, there was something oddly calming about the entire setting.
It was a particularly windy night, and the sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) and river tamarind (Leucaena leucocephala) rustled as the breeze passed through them. Afternoon showers had soaked this region of the island, and mud squelched under my shoes as I dodged the odd bat that swooped down in front of my phone’s flashlight.
After a ten-minute walk, I spotted other flashlights in the distance, quite relieved to see other people after walking by myself in a remote area.
The group was made up of those who had great expertise in various fields such as ornithology, marine biology, and of course, bats, and was in the process of erecting a mist net when I arrived.
Bats have small eyes with very sensitive vision, which helps them see in conditions which humans might consider pitch black. They also utilise echolocation, where they produce high-pitched sound waves that bounce off objects in their environment, to navigate and find insect prey.
Mist netting is used to gain information on bat populations. The nets are rectangular and made of thin threads, which are particularly inconspicuous in the dark. Once a bat is caught in the net, it is removed, observed and identified, in some cases their forearm length is measured, and then they are released.
Once the net was in place we waited; checking every half an hour to see if anything was caught. To pass the time, we sat and chatted about all things environmental, and even spoke about Caribbean folklore creatures that could be lurking in the fields like the Heart Man and La Jablesse.
Before we knew it, 10 PM had rolled around and unfortunately nothing aside from a small spider was caught. But I always say, “No data *is* data.” Due to the windy conditions, not many insects were out flying, which typically distract the bats from the presence of the nets as they chase their prey. It could also just have been an area not frequented by bats. All of this would be recorded with conclusions to be drawn as more data is taken into account.
Reflections
Although bats are largely perceived as pests, often roosting in homes and being carriers of diseases, Bajans have a lot to thank them for. Some species feed on nectar and fruits, pollinating trees which bear local fruit which we love so much like breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), mangoes (Mangifera indica), bananas (Musa), ackees (Melicoccus bijugatus), and guavas (Psidium guajava).
Bats also prey on insects, keeping populations of species such as mosquitoes and pests of crops at bay.
It is important to remember that every living organism has a role to play in the ecosystem. Outside of their intrinsic rights to exist, they may be aiding us in ways which we have not considered.
Please check out the references for more information on Barbados’ bats!
That’s a wrap on my latest adventure, where or what should I go see next? Feel free to reach out via social media or my contact page. Until next time!
References
Bats of Barbados (Genoways et al 2011)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256535577_Bats_of_Barbados
Why we need to treat bats with care (and how to do it) - Rentokil
https://www.rentokil.com/bb/blog/industry-insights/treat-bats-with-care