coming back from a swim at secret beach we saw a guy hiking and offered him a ride which he gladly accepted because his flip flop blew out.
turns out, the guy was from mexico city and was one of the team of researchers who are living out on San Roque Island working on a project to
eradicate rats so that some species of birds like terns that are endangered can reproduce and increase their numbers....cool project.
They were very very excited because they found several Myotis Vevesi which were reported extinct in these parts. Fishing Bats...who'da thunk??? I had
never heard of a fishing bat so was intrigued. Here is a link to some info on these fishers...they have adapted to fishing...kinda like some expats!
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/informat...
they also found a species of muirlet that was thought to be extinct as well...so they are doubly pleased and wonder what other delights they may
discover in the months to come. I look forward to chatting with them about their findings.
It was funny because he was talking about how when people lived on the island, they screwed up the place with thier cats who wreaked havoc on the
endemic species there...and it was Juan's grandparents who lived there with their cats!!! oooops...now the islands are off limits to humans without
permits and many species are returning.
learn something new everyday!
in this pic you can see how the feet have elongated talons for picking up fish...dang...gotta love how evolution works.
[Edited on 3-25-2010 by shari]
[Edited on 3-25-2010 by shari]
Cypress - 3-24-2010 at 08:25 AM
Shari, Very interesting, Thanks.Pappy Jon - 3-25-2010 at 06:24 AM
Question? Is the Myotis considered extinct, or extripated from San Roque? Same for the muirlet.shari - 3-25-2010 at 08:39 AM
hey pappy...I only reported what the researcher told me and he used the word extinct which perhaps may not be the proper word. These guys study
islands...I googled these fishing bats and seems they are more abundant in the islands in the Gulf and there was a sighting many many moons ago around
turtle bay.
I figure it's more a case of nobody realizing they were there...juan lived on the island as a child and never knew they existed. Perhaps they thought
they were just regular bats or maybe the cats did eat em as back then there was no Cat Chow.
I just thought it was fascinating...never knew bats fished!!! I look forward to my first sighting.
I'm surprised more nomads arent interested this amazing discovery....I'm gonna change the title and see if it gets more attentionDavid K - 3-25-2010 at 08:42 AM
Oh, I am reading this Shari... Natural History is very interesting... and this blends with human history!
The Baja Adventure Book talks a bit about San Roque Island, as well... the ship wreck (we discussed it in the past, yes?).
Let's see if I can keep up...
Mexray - 3-25-2010 at 09:41 AM
...here"
I've heard of Fruit bats in Central/South America...
And bats that attack cattle in Africa...
Now you're telling me there's Fishing bats in Mexico!!!
What's our natural world coming to? Next someone will find that there's bats that attack people in the dark of night - turning them into vampires!
I wonder what Mexican Fishing Bats use for bait? What weight line and kind of rods are favored by these fisher-bats? Iflyfish - 3-25-2010 at 09:56 AM
Absolutely fascinating. Wow, what a great find. Here is a link to a photo of these amazing creatures.
I'll watch for them over here on the Mulege River in the evenings.
I've put up a bat house on the river, but its never been inhabited-- probably too hot in the summer; caves are much cooler and private diggs for our
wonderful flying fox friends.
Up in the mountains of California a colony of about 300 Mexican Brown Bats live in houses I've provided on the north eves of my house which is at 3200
foot elevation. All but a few young males fly south for the winter-- they love margaritas on the beach!Bugman - 3-25-2010 at 02:09 PM
I have sat on the beach at Agua Verde just after dark a couple times and watched these guys fish in the light of my flashlight. They are very cool to
watch!
David K - 3-25-2010 at 03:06 PM
So, instead of radar to catch flying food... they must have sonar to catch swimming food?!Barbareno - 3-26-2010 at 04:45 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Iflyfish
Absolutely fascinating. Wow, what a great find. Here is a link to a photo of these amazing creatures.
I just clicked onto that link. This is what it said under the picture that Shari posted of the girl with the bat:
A fish-eating bat (Myotis vivesi) and anonymous researcher. Note the tail scoop between the hind legs, used as a fishing net in this species, an
insect catcher in other microbats, and completely absent in the megabats.
I would love to see these bats in action. On film.Skipjack Joe - 3-26-2010 at 06:35 AM
I thought it was a cool post when it first came up, Shari. And now, after reading about it's feeding habits, I'm even more interested.
I'm wondering what sort of fish it can get between those small legs. You would think an anchovy would be too large. Nighttime seems like a perfect
time for this type of feeding as the baitfish come up to the very surface.
BTW, those must have been Russian cats on the island. The Russian word for bat is "flying mouse".
P.S. Could have been German cats chasing Fleidermauses, too.
[Edited on 3-26-2010 by Skipjack Joe]Wingnut - 3-26-2010 at 03:40 PM
Dang it Shari, now see what you started. The next thing we know the kids will be running around in Mexican Fishing Bat costumes for Halloween, we will
be seeing lurid comic books featuring the "good" Mexibat versus the evil Island cats and someone will be calling the National Inquirer to relate a
story about how they were captured by a flock of Fishin' Bats while on vacation in Mexico! Juan's grand parents cats should have finished the job!
Just kidding, thanks for the fascinating lesson about life in the wild's of Mexico. Move over Mighty Mouse, here come Pepe' the Fishin' Bat!!!!
