Petition: Build a Bat Bridge

Gray bats have been an endangered species for more than four decades. Their habitat is restricted to a limited range of caves, mainly in Alabama, northern Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.  In the summer they roost in scattered caves along rivers, and in the winter they hibernate in deep, vertical caves.

Because of this limited habitat range, Gray bats are especially susceptible to human disturbance, Climate change and habitat degradation.  According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, arousing bats during hibernation causes them to panic, burn through energy reserves, and even drop their flightless young.  Reservoirs have flooded many caves; and human construction has altered the airflow, temperature, humidity, and light in others.

The extent of destruction has turned old box bridges into a surprisingly important resource.  Since at least as far back as 2005, studies have shown how bats make use of a variety of highway structures.  As bridges, and especially box bridges age, they develop cracks that serve as shelter for the bats from wind, rain, and predators.

In some heartwarming news, wildlife groups, scientists and local engineers in Kentucky teamed up to build a new bridge drawing on this research.  The bridge incorporates crevices for gray bats.  In addition to conserving caves, building bat-friendly bridges could save species like the Gray Bat from extinction.  Sign this petition and ask other states—starting with Tennessee—to follow Kentucky’s lead.

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