When you picture a flower and a pollinator, the odds are you’re imagining a colorful, perfumed flower, and a honeybee.

However, the large size of bats can also make pollination by them energetically expensive for plants. One example is the endangered greater long-eared bat, native to the south-western US and Mexico.

More information: Nathan Muchhala et al, Making yourself heard: why well‐exposed flowers are an adaptation for bat pollination, New Phytologist (2024). DOI: 10.1111/nph.20075 Provided by Wiley ...

Bats pollinate about 528 species of plants. More than 80 percent of plant species are dependent on pollinators. At least 30 percent of 1,500 crop species worldwide depend on pollinators.

Bats are also vital pollinators. “You wouldn’t have tequila if you had no bats, because that’s the only thing that pollinates the agave plant that makes tequila,” Magill said. ...

Bats are efficient pollinators as they are able to transport large amounts of pollen on their furry bodies. Plants have evolved to hang away from the plant to give easier access to incoming bats.

Bats are a captivating bunch, flying hundreds of miles, pinpointing prey with sonar and leading complex social lives. They’re also voracious predators of insects wreaking havoc on crops such as cotton ...

Mexican long-nosed bats pollinate over 50 plant species in the southwestern United States, which is invaluable for an arid, desert environment. Celebrating #nationaltequiladay ? Thank a bat!

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Did you know that the Mexican free-tailed bat is Texas’ official flying mammal? These bats are beneficial to the state, helping with insect control and pollination. Bats ...

These bats are beneficial to the state, helping with insect control and pollination. Bats pollinate through their elongated snouts and tongues. This helps them take on a collection of nectar.