A full-colour, fully updated field guide to identifying British
Columbia's bats, with new material on acoustic identification.
With more than 1,400 species worldwide, bats live on every continent
except Antarctica and in virtually every type of habitat, from desert to
forest. Around the globe, bats fill important ecological roles by
controlling insect populations, pollinating plants, dispersing seeds,
and even providing humans with medicines--the saliva of the famous
vampire bat can be used to treat strokes! Yet despite their importance
to the planet's ecosystems, there remains more misinformation than fact
and more fear than respect for these diminutive guardians of the night.
Since the first edition of Bats of British Columbia was published in
1993, an explosion in field studies of the province's bat fauna,
applying new tools such as genetic techniques and acoustic bat
detectors, has added a wealth of new knowledge. This fully updated
second edition includes new colour photographs throughout, with new
material on acoustic identification. With in-depth information on
biology, conservation, ecology, and identification of the 18 species
found in the province, the new Bats of British Columbia will help
create an appreciation of this fascinating group of mammals.