Cute Animal in Danger: Bonneted Bat

Bat Conservation International

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


The Florida bonneted bat (Eumops Floridanus) is one of 249 species which are candidates for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Since taking office this year, President Obama has only listed one new species (a Hawaiian plant) as endangered, and is scheduled to list another species in December. In contrast, noted conservation foe George W. Bush listed an average of 8 species a year, and Bill Clinton listed an average of 65 species a year. The Florida bonneted bat is currently being reviewed for protection, but it really can’t come fast enough. There are only an estimated 100 individuals left.

The Florida bonneted bat lives only in Florida, and is one of the largest bats in North America, with a wingspan of more than a foot and a half. While its wings are large, the bat’s body is about the size of a sparrow’s: three to four inches long and weighing only one to two ounces. The bat has been spotted in North Fort Myers and in near Miami, roosting in barrel-tile roofs or in the hollow trunks of trees. One of the largest known colonies of the Florida bonneted bat lives in a suburban backyard, first in a single-celled, and now in an upgraded three-chamber bat house built by the Organization for Bat Conservation. The bat house now has more than a dozen bats living in it, including an albino bat born around 2003.

While some Floridians are making a concerted effort to save the bat, its populations have been compromised by pesticide use, which poisons the insects that are the bat’s main food source. In addition, habitat loss continues to be an issue. The bats prefer large, old trees with deep cavities for roosting and rearing young. But many of these trees are removed for various development projects, like one with eight bats in it that was removed back in 1979. Twenty-four species have gone extinct waiting to be listed as endangered. Hopefully, now that it’s actually under review, the Florida bonneted bat won’t be among them.

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate