5,000 Bats Fall Dead From The Trees In Australia

a reply to: nrthstar

Here's a little something, something I posted a while ago...

Linky here

....BATS....

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/405e2607f540.gif[/atsimg]

The Graph above shows the drop in Australia’s smallest bats the (Pipistrellus murrayi)

The Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi, at just 3 g is one of Australia’s smallest bats, and almost certainly, the rarest. It is endemic to Christmas Island, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean just 135 km2 in size, and is the only species of microbat to occur there. Its distribution and abundance have declined dramatically in recent years, and as a result it was listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 in 2006. Surveys undertaken in the mid-1980s found it to be common and widespread across the island (Tidemann 1985).

However, by the mid-1990s there had been a marked reduction in abundance and a westward range contraction (Lumsden and Cherry 1997, Lumsden et al. 1999). This decline continued at a rapid rate and the species is now confined to the far west of the island, no longer occurring across most of its former range (James and Retallick 2007, Lumsden et al. 2007). Long-term monitoring using ultrasonic bat detectors indicates this species has undergone a 99% decline in relative abundance since 1994 (James and Retallick 2007, Lumsden et al. 2007, Parks Australia North Christmas Island unpublished data; Fig. 1).

Monsanto- Australia

Our Pledge

The Monsanto Pledge is our commitment to how we do business. It is a declaration that compels us to listen more, to consider our actions and their impact broadly, and to lead responsibly. It helps us to convert our values into actions, and to make clear who we are and what we champion.

a reply to: SLAYER69

Slayer..

Christmas Island is a tiny island, only 135 square kilometres in size. There is no agriculture there, In fact two thirds is national park.

How you can relate the huge drop in numbers of bats endemic to this island to monsanto confuses me.

a reply to: Chadwickus

Bats fly over a fairly large area and eat insects which also fly over a fairly large area as well. Insects eat/interact with genetically modified products...

As I wrote earlier in this thread.

I have my suspicions.

a reply to: SLAYER69

I don't think a 4 gram bat is flying 400km to Java, the closest country. Christmas Island may be a territory of Australia but it's 2000kms away.

Their decline could be due to a pesticide though, called Fipronil, which has been used to try and control an introduced species of ant.

But that's made by BASF, not monsanto, I'm sure a tenuous link can be made between the two.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
I'm sure a tenuous link can be made between the two.

Agreed.

Nothing is harmed by asking questions and doing more research on the possible connection though.

It just seems odd to many when after Monsanto moves into areas that soon there after there appears to be a die offs in bees and bats.

a reply to: RoScoLaz4

It is definitely the heat that has caused this. Bats are very sensitive to temperature. They hibernate here in the UK. In spring when they come out of hibernation too early and are caught out they die. Too cold or too hot.

The babies may have took shelter in the wings like an umbrella against the heat.

I think this colony just got caught out while roosting. Hanging in a tree in heat like that; frazzled.

Also, regarding long term decline, pesticides may indeed be having a long term effect on the population. Here in the UK they are in decline, too. Pesticide impact in terms of direct poisoning and/or effects of pesticide on the food chain and what they eat.

Very disturbing seeing the picture of so many beautiful creatures perished.

Damn it,this actually pulled me out of lurk mode.

I'm here to tell you now,as a resident of Casino,that this is a natural occurrence that happens when the temperature gets too high.

Again,THIS IS A NATURAL OCCURRENCE.

My wife and I are native animal carers and we refuse to take in the fruit bats during this period of time.This is evolution at work,the heat culls of the old,infirm and the uber young.These colonies are HUGE.The last heat wave that was reported to have killed off the fruit bats,an estimated 80,000 had died off from Casino to the Queensland border.And I can tell you you couldn't tell the difference.

Nothing to see here folks.

Colony populations expand,and contract with seasons,drought and heat

a reply to: SLAYER69 I read an article not too long ago about fruit bats having the ability to travel about 400km in less than half a year. I think the article was called, now don't laugh, "Bats with out borders".
As for these tiny guys, I am not sure, but anything is possible if they are trying to survive.

I realize posters from the area are saying this is normal during heat waves, but like you said, some situations are suspect.

a reply to: yenoram it would be interesting indeed. I do realize that some bats can eat something like 600 insects in one night. I don't think fruit bats don't eat insects. But I could be wrong.

In any case, it's a shame as we need do them for our echo system, as mentioned by others.

This is just purely heat related. Happens on a semi regular basis in semi tropical and tropical areas of Australia where there are lots of bats and lots of heat. Happened last summer in the same general area.

Neither area is a big friut growing region. Casino is mostly beef cattle and some dairy. Not a lot of pesticide spraying going on.

As for some of the babies surviving, my guess is they where protected from the direct sun by their mothers bodies and cooled by the mothers wing flaps which they do in an attempt to cool down.

originally posted by: TKDRL
a reply to: Rezlooper
Correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that australia is no stranger to heatwaves. Is it really that much hotter than in the past?

Yes it is. Each summer of the past few years as broken records of the previous year. Last year was their hottest on record. It was so hot there that their meteorological society (not sure of the name right now) added two colors onto their color scale for heat temperatures. Many naysayers will deny that it's getting hotter there, but I don't think they would be adding two colors on the scale just for the heck of it.

a reply to: Rezlooper
Ah I see. Wildlife dropping dead in australia due to heat, the first thing I though was that would be kinda like moose dropping dead here due to a cold snap.

a reply to: TKDRL yes considering its only November worst is still to come its so dry I live 30 mins from casino the bats down here were not effected in this manner as we are a coastal town last Friday here in evans head it was 39 degrees but we had an on shore breeze however 5 k up the road in doonbah it was 44.5 the WEATHER EACH YEAR IS GETTING HOTTER AND DRYER rain is not as frequent in winter in fact my electricity bill was so cheap. very warm and its only going 2 get worst

a reply to: nrthstar

Hi there nrthstar,

I can assure you there is nothing tiny about fruit-bats (flying fox's),unlike (Pipistrellus murrayi) . Indeed,that are sometimes referred to as "megabats".

With a wing span of 1 meter and can weigh over 3.0kg they were/are a part of the indiginous peoples,(Bundjalung Nation) diet.

Edit: On the diet of fruit bats.

Fruit bats are essential to the health of the rainforests,as they are one of the main pollinators and spread the seeds of the fruit/nectar trees to other areas.

Thanks ATS,its actually been good to be a part of a sensible thread,just like the old days.

Yes.
If you understand a little about biology you'd know that animals have limited tolerances to heat variation. The temperatures we are getting are way outside the norm and heatwaves are continuing for longer periods. Animals get stressed from the heat, cannot go anywhere cooler as there is no place here that is cooler and thus die. I'm in a rural setting in Southern Australia and where I live we are currently experiencing temps about 6 degrees celsius above the long term average. Evaporation is higher, trees are incredibly stressed and those most associated with the land have no doubt that conditions have changed.
The only deniers in this place are Federal Politicians and those with no link to rural environments - city dwellers.
Climate change is real.
Those who make insipid comments about liking warmer weather really don't understand how an increase in average temperatures drastically increases the frequency of extreme events. If you understand standard deviations, it's a no brainer how we are in for some devastating weather when the average temp is so skewed from the long term average

a reply to: TKDRL

Methane pockets.

Jumpingjackflashhypothesis.com

I've been through Casino by train and it's in the hills on the border where it would normally be a bit cooler than on the plains so those flying foxes would have had a nasty experience with such a high temperature there. Probably won't even make a dent on the overall population. Spent time in Brisbane occasionally and they're everywhere feeding after dark.

Does the rail gauge still change at Casino? (NSW & QLD had different gauges last time I went to Cairns by rail)

a reply to: RoScoLaz4

Is there a HAARP facility anywhere nearby? It's puzzling that the baby bats were still alive. Was searching the net to see if any US Navy weapons were being tested in the area like 'microwave' weapons. Were any of the bats autopsied? or whatever the word is for dissecting bats when they're dead to find the cause of death. Were any chem-trails visible at the time they dropped dead?

In New Zealand here, we just had a large pod of whales beach and die, don't know whether any of it is related, being that the whales are water inhabitants, and bats are not.

a reply to: Pilgrum

Hi mate,i can tell you that since being at Casino for 15 years,the temps get mid to high 40's every year.From what the locals have been telling me this is normal for this area.And I cant remember if the gauge is the same as QLD as they have bought the rail,ect in this area.

At the moment we have had another "wildlife" group hosing down the colonies trying to keep them cool,but in my mind its more like poaching them in their own juices.This other group has put out a memo to the vets in the area askign them to only keep "endangered" species of native wildlife and euthanase the rest,because they are "too busy" rescuing that which should not be rescued.but,they are addicted to TV attention for the money it brings to their coffers.

originally posted by: SLAYER69
a reply to: RoScoLaz4

Monsanto is a name that comes to mind when I hear of bees and bats dying off. I can't prove it nor have anything at the moment other than my suspicions.

One of the few conspiracies I can get behind.