Researchers were thrilled to discover not one, not two, but six new species of bats in the Philippines from a hard-to-track subgroup of animals.
A new study published in Zootaxa from researchers from the Royal Ontario Museum, Field Museum in Chicago, and Lawrence University in Wisconsin explained the discovery of the six new species commonly known as tube-nosed bats, in a Phys.org article.
Prior to the team's research, there were only two known species of tube-nosed bats in the Philippines. The new batch was identified through genetic testing and physical details, such as tooth pattern, skull shape, fur banding, and other visible identifiers.
"These bats are notoriously elusive, so the tube-nosed bat collection this study examined was cobbled together over many years, expeditions, and memorable experiences — one bat at a time. As a result, it's deeply satisfying to see our collection make such an important contribution to Philippine biodiversity studies," study co-author Dr. Jodi Sedlock said.
Bats get a bad reputation around the world as scary or dangerous animals, but they play a vital part in maintaining biodiversity and protecting people. A single bat can eat thousands of insects per night, functioning as pest control that keeps unwanted insects at bay from human populations, per The Conservation Fund.
They're also important pollinators and help regenerate forests by dispersing seeds across distances. Even their poop is vital to the ecosystem, enriching the soil with nutrients like nitrogen.
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The presence of these newly discovered bat species in the Philippines is a positive indicator of the country's ecological health.
As Dr. Lawrence Heaney, one of the study's researchers, noted: "It has been a long and slow process of discovery, but these six previously unknown species show clearly just how wonderfully extensive Philippine biodiversity is. On a per-unit-area basis, the Philippines has the most distinctive mammal fauna of any country worldwide."
Protecting bats protects biodiversity and ensures the survival of thousands of species, humans included.
A 2024 study linked the decline in bat populations in the United States to increased infant mortality rates, showing that no matter how distant the connection seems, humans and nature are deeply interconnected.
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