The Mexican long-nosed bat has been listed as endangered since 1988, and now a new plan is in place to protect it.
The Tri-City Record reported that the scheme includes safeguarding their "existing foraging habitat and restoring agave."
According to Bat Conservation International, pregnant bats need the nectar in agave to give them energy for their journey from Central Mexico to the Southwest United States, where they give birth.
The long-nosed bat population declined because humans converted their "foraging habitat into agricultural lands," per the Record.
Rising temperatures also threaten the mammals' habitat, and optimistic models indicate that 59% won't be usable by 2050.
The bat's roosting habitat in New Mexico is Hidalgo County caves. These caves stay at about 64 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain suitable humidity levels. In addition, an ideal roost limits human contact. The bats also pollinate more than 50 plants in the Southwest.
The long-nosed bat is known to breed in only one location — Cueva del Diablo in Morelos, Mexico — but there could be other caves suitable for breeding.
Successfully delisting or downlisting the species would require maintaining a colony of 10,000 bats over a decade. A colony of 12,000 bats must be maintained for 25 years for them to be removed from the endangered list.
While the only American cave included in the plan is Mount Emory Cave in Texas, there is more the U.S. can do, including creating a fire management plan to protect the cave in Big Bend National Park. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should work with the Bureau of Land Management to protect another cave the bats frequent, Romney Roost in the Big Hatchet Mountains.
"To help with recovery, it is critical to protect these caves and conserve plants near roosting sites and along migratory routes," Jade Florence, an FWS biologist, said in a news release.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, long-nosed bats and lesser long-nosed bats are the only pollinators of agave plants. Agave is vital to people of Mexico, who make nets, sandals, brushes, ropes, sleeping mats, and other things from the plant.
Pollinators are also crucial for human food, as 80% of crops require pollination.
You can help endangered species such as the long-nosed bat by donating to causes that protect the animals.
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