January 25, 2021 at 6:00 am
Bats, better known for their mousy looks, can have a colorful side. A new species, discovered when two bats were caught at an abandoned miners’ tunnel in western Africa, sports showy swathes of orange fur.
The new finds “are just gorgeous,” says mammalogist Nancy Simmons of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Orange fur on the bats’ backs contrasts with black sections of wing membranes.
But that’s not what sets this bat apart: Three other
Myotis species from the continent are similarly flashy. Rather less visible traits, from details of hidden striping in its fur to its echolocation calls, peg
‘Spectacular’ orange-furred bat described from West African mountain
by Liz Kimbrough on 21 January 2021
An orange-furred bat has been described from the caves and mining tunnels of the Nimba Mountains in Guinea.
Researchers say the bat had such a distinctive look that they quickly recognized it was a species new to science.
The newly described species, which they named Myotis nimbaensis, meaning “from Nimba,” may also be critically endangered and found only in this particular mountain range.
This discovery, the authors say, speaks to the importance of the Nimba peaks, known as “sky islands,” to bat diversity.
An orange-furred bat, new to science, has been described from the caves and mining tunnels of the Nimba Mountains in Guinea, West Africa. Led by the American Museum of Natural History and Bat Conservation International, a group of researchers encountered the fuzzy mammal in 2018 while conducting field surveys and knew right away it was a “spectacular” fin
New Bat Discovered In Africa - And It s Orange, Black Like Halloween New Bat Discovered In Africa - And It s Orange, Black Like Halloween At a time when the United Nations has warned of a biodiversity crisis, with 1 million species facing extinction, a find such as this is greeted as a light in a dark era, Bat Conservation International said in a statement.
Updated: January 14, 2021 7:36 am IST
It was a picture of a bat. But not just any bat. This one was orange with striking black wings.
Nancy Simmons was sitting in her office at the American Museum of Natural History two years ago when she got a startling text from a research expedition in Africa.
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Scientists on Wednesday announced the discovery of a new bat species in Africa that has a striking mix of fiery orange and black colors, according to reports.
The new Halloween-hued bat, Myotis nimbaensis, was found after scientists set out on an expedition in 2018 to survey the habitat of an endangered bat species in the West African country of Guinea, the New York Times reported. It was kind of a life goal in a way, one that I never thought would happen, said Dr. Jon Flanders, director of endangered species interventions at Bat Conservation International, a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas. Every species is important, but you get drawn to the interesting-looking ones, and this one really is spectacular.
Scientists have confirmed discovery of a new species of bat, welcome news at a time when the United Nations has warned that one million species of different types of flora and fauna are facing extinction.