2 ms·
> how much can we keep this up? Large colonies under relatively exposed bridges are not likely an evolutionarily winning behavior in the long term even without
by adolph 4y ago
> how much can we keep this up?
Large colonies under relatively exposed bridges are not likely an evolutionarily winning behavior in the long term even without an increase in extreme weather frequency.
Since there is a healthy bat population that otherwise survives well throughout Houston in trees, eaves and elsewhere, the loss of less robustly situated bats isn't going to make a large difference, in my layperson's point of view. There isn't a need to keep anything up because the bats do just fine without human interference.
- daveslash 4y agoGood point! And you're right of course regarding the bats. I was speaking more generally about vulnerable animal populations in general, but I wasn't very clear on that point. :-/
- adolph 4y agoSometimes it’s hard to tell what’s a vulnerable population from one that is just at the fringe of its physio-behavioral range. A common bat in the Houston area is the Mexican Freetailed. Looking at its documented range makes me think it isn’t well suited for freezes either directly or by the nature of what it predates or pollinates. If this species (or any vulnerable population) were to be propped up in Houston, what would be the effects on other ecosystem participants that may depend on periodic removal of the first species? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_free-tailed_bat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_free-tailed_bat