BCR 141: Merlin Tuttle, Bat Conservation
Four trained frog-eating or fringe-lipped bats (Trachops cirrhosus) being called all at once to Merlin Tuttle’s hand for a reward during his research in Panama. He is recording their echolocation calls during their final approach in his research lab in Panama. Field Work. ©Merlin Tuttle, All Rights Reserved. Photo may not be used in any form without written permission.
Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle is an ecologist, wildlife photographer, and conservationist who has studied bats and championed their preservation for more than 55 years and continues a fulltime schedule as founder of Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation in support of his many continuing conservation activities.
Cuban flower bat (Phyllonycteris poeyi) pollinating Blue Mahoe Tree in Cuba. Pollination. ©Merlin Tuttle, All Rights Reserved. Photo may not be used in any form without written permission.
He is globally known through his scientific discoveries, media appearances, popular articles, and photographs of bats. His work has been featured in expositions from Harvard University to the British Museum and in numerous feature articles that include the Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and National Geographic .
Merlin Tuttle and Neil Furey photographing Asian wrinkle-lipped bat (Chaerephon plicatus) emergence from Vihear Luong Cave in Cambodia. Photography. ©Merlin Tuttle, All Rights Reserved. Photo may not be used in any form without written permission.
His book, The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals , was released by Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt Publishing on October 20, 2015. It was immediately selected by Amazon as one of its 10 Best Books of the month in its non-fiction category and received numerous outstanding reviews, including by The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, National Geographic Book Talk, Nature and The Huffington Post.
Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) eating a corn earworm moth (Helicoverpa zea) in flight in Texas. Catching Prey. ©Merlin Tuttle, All Rights Reserved. Photo may not be used in any form without written permission.
Show Notes:
- Discovered a colony of gray myotis in Baloney Cave.
- Became Curator of Mammals Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- You founded Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation to focus your ongoing conservation work. Tell us about your razor focus on conservation through out your career.
- To further bat education and conservation, you taught yourself photography. Today you have over 150,000 film based and digital bat related images in your collection.
- Bat photography techniques that you use to this day, the setups and equipment
- Brazilian free-tail bat and Austin.
- Bat conservation efforts.
- The Secret Lives of Bats, My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals.
- Loss of bat numbers and species.
- Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation is the most recent contribution by Merlin Tuttle to the world of bats. You have not let up the advocacy for bats through research, photography and outreach.
- Transforming your color slide collection into digital files.
Mentioned In Episode:
Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation
NOTE: All photos & Bat audio clip in this show are only for this specific BirdCallsRadio™ & Podcast show and article is courtsey of ©Merlin Tuttle, All Rights Reserved. Photo may not be used in any form without written permission. Please respect the wishes of Merlin Tuttle and Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation.
A Painted Bat in flight. This is a rarely seen speccies that is widespread throughout much of Southeast Asia. In Thailand these bats roost in the dried tips of dyiing banana leaves, living in mated pairs, often with a single pup. Their color blends well with the leaves in which they roost, but the purpose for the striking, butterfly-like wing pattern is unknown. When disturbed into flying from roosts during the day, they exhibit a butterfly-like flight, hence their alternate name, Butterfy Bat. Average adult body length is about 4 cm, and weight is approximately 4.5 gms. These bats feed on small, flying insects. ©Merlin Tuttle, All Rights Reserved. Photo may not be used in any form without written permission.
BirdCallsRadio additional information:
To Support BirdCallsRadio & Podcast DONATE NOW
Subscribe directly onto ApplePodcasts; Stitcher; Google Play; Spotify; iHeartRadio
BirdCallsRadio ON THE GO! to our podcast for Mac, PC & Android users automatically so you won’t miss any BCR podcasts; and please leave us a rating and review if you would be so kind! We appreciate it!
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter and be part of something greater. Stay up to date on all our episodes and exclusive offers by clicking here on BirdCallsRadio and scrolling to the bottom and sign up with your email. All emails are confidential.