How do bats work together?

Introduction
[150-250 words]

Collaboration is the process of working together to achieve a common goal. Many animal species work together to defend their territories. They also work together to care for their young and to collect food. Sometimes animals collaborate with family members. Other times, they work with unrelated individuals. No matter who works together, collaboration makes it easier to survive.
Bats are a type of mammal that collaborate. There are many bat species, and each species works together in different ways. Spectral bats are carnivores. They live in tree hollows or caves. A family unit includes one female, one male, and their babies, called pups. We wanted to learn more about the behavior of spectral bats. We wanted to know how they interact with each other and take care of their young. We hypothesized that both parents take care of the pups to prepare them for adulthood.
Reading level: 6
Word Count: 151
Methods
[150-200 words]

We conducted our study in a forest in Costa Rica. We focused on one roost in the hollow of a tree that we found in November 2022. The roost was home to a family of four bats. There were two adults and two pups. In November 2023, we placed a wildlife camera inside the hollow tree. The camera recorded the bats for 60 days. The videos used infrared to capture the bats’ behavior. The camera turned on when it sensed movement from the bats.
At the end of the recording period, we watched the videos. We classified the different behaviors observed into the following categories:
social behaviors (see Fig. 1)
food behaviors
play behaviors
We also determined which bats participated in the behaviors. We took screenshots from the videos. To determine if a bat was an adult or a pup, we measured the distance between the eyes of each bat. The pups had a smaller distance between their eyes.
Reading level: 4
Word Count: 155

Results
[50-150 words]

Social Behaviors:
When the bats were social, they stayed close together. Often, one bat put its wing around another, like a human hug. The bats greeted each other with a “hug” when one bat returned to the roost. Sometimes they groomed each other. They also made vocalizations.

Food Behaviors:
The bats brought prey to the roost. Upon arrival, another bat approached the bat holding the prey. About 92 percent of the time, the prey-carrying bat gave the food to the approaching bat. The eye distance of the prey-carrying bat was larger than the eye distance of the approaching bat (Fig. 2). We also observed the bats leaving the roost individually and in groups of at least two. On six occasions, two bats left and returned at the same time.


Play Behaviors:
The bats showed three different play behaviors. Sometimes the bats changed the position of the wildlife camera while making sounds. Other times, the bats tried to catch passing cockroaches. The bats also fought with each other in a playful way.
Can we add
‘See Figure 2 on page 3’ to the bottom of page 2?

Reading level: 5
Word Count: 167

Discussion
[150-200 words]

Our observations showed that both parents took care of the pups. In some instances, the parents hunted food together. When either parent returned with food, they often gave it to one of the pups. This is not common behavior in mammals. In most mammal species, only the mother takes care of the young. The father most likely takes care of the pups because spectral bats form a bonded pair. Pair bonding occurs when a male and female of a species mate and spend time together. This pairing makes the father more dedicated to taking care of the babies. Additionally, spectral bats are carnivores. That means they eat meat. But, as babies, bats drink milk from their mother. Working together, the parents help the babies transition from milk to meat. The babies also learn how to handle different types of prey.
We also found that spectral bats take care of their pups longer than other bat species. The pups of other species leave the roost at around four or five months. But we estimated that the pups were more than a year old. We think our photo of the family includes an older pup from the previous year. The extra time spent in the roost is for learning. We observed the pups playing with objects, food, and each other. This type of play helps the pups explore in a safe environment. Play also helps them develop skills they need as adults.
Reading level: 5
Word Count: 214

Conclusion
[100 words]

Observing the spectral bats working together to raise their pups is a great lesson in collaboration. While being independent is important, working with others can make things easier. It can also increase your creativity. How? When you work in a group, each person shares their unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives. Sharing ideas with others can help you think about a problem or task in a different way. Working with others also gives people a chance to explore and try new things in a safe environment. Next time you have a project or challenging task to complete, consider working with others!