Bats in Costa Rica

Today we had a very busy day. Along with all the other things we focused the majority of our time on BATS!!!!! First we learned about the background of bats and how to identify the different species. We also learned how people have a pre-conceived ideas about bats and think that they are icky but they are totally COOL! After our orientation we set up feces collectors to tell how the bats spread the seeds that they eat. We had dinner and afterwards we went back and put up mist net to try to catch a bat to learn about them. Then we switched groups and got another orientation. After we learned all of these things we saw real bats and got to touch them. We got to touch the wings. It was such a thin leathery membrane. Violet and I were afraid we were going to break it. These bats were definitely the highlight of our day!!!
-Meghan and Violet-

Pictures to come soon, but it's almost 10, we've been up since 7 and we have a 5AM wakeup to see what the feces collectors have for us to find! Students are trying to determine whether or not bats are responsible for spreading the seeds of the fruits they eat to clearings in and around the Sarapiqui rainforest and river. The students have hypothesized that these seeds would grow into fruit plants and become the first stage in a succession of a developing rainforest. Tomorrow can't come sooner!
-Mr. Musselman-