On the Bat’s Back I Do Fly after Summer Merrily

The only mammals that can fly, bats play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. They devour large amounts of insect pests; pollinate hundreds of species of fruit, including avocados, bananas, and mangoes; and spread seeds of a number of plants, including cacao, figs, and nuts. This month’s cover image, Bat in Moon by Biho Takashi, portrays a soaring bat silhouetted across a full moon. A fitting caption can be taken from Ariel’s words in Act V, Scene I, of The Tempest by William Shakespeare: “On the bat’s back I do fly after summer merrily.” [...]some of those same attributes that enable bats to be effective reservoirs for viral infections, including their living in large colonies, have had deadly consequences for some bat species. Veterinary pathologist Lisa Farina and wildlife pathologist Julie Lankton have stated that an estimated 6 million bats died from this infection within a decade after its discovery and that it “may represent the largest mammalian wildlife mortality event in recorded history.” First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America. June 21, 2023 The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.