MARY KAY CARSON

Author of books for kids about wildlife, nature, space, weather, and more!

The Bat Scientists

The Bat Scientists

Mary Kay Carson with photos by Tom Uhlman

The men and women who study bats aren’t scared of the dark or bothered by a bit of smelly guano. And they certainly aren’t afraid of bats. These bat crusaders are fascinated by them, with good reason. Bats are the only furred animals—mammals—that can fly. Many communicate and hunt using ultrasonic echolocation, gather in enormous colonies of millions, and live for more than 40 years.

Unfortunately bats are also in trouble. Many bat species are threatened with extinction. American bats are also facing a terrifying and mysterious new disease called white-nose syndrome. Follow the bat scientists into the trenches—and caves—as they fight to save their beloved and amazing bats.

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Reviews & Awards

“

Whether describing the physics of echolocation or the present crisis of white-nose syndrome, Carson encourages readers to rethink stereotypes about creatures once scorned as flying vermin and shows how intricately their survival is tied to our own.

Booklist

“

This impassioned book is rich with fascinating information and photographs and will make readers think about bats in a new way. With deft description and careful explanation, Carson profiles Tuttle and his fellow bat-lovers ... as they research these misunderstood creatures.

Horn Book

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A strong scientific look at a unique and often unloved mammal and the scientists who happily investigate them.

School Library Journal

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Woven into particular researchers’ stories is an enormous amount of information about bat biology and behavior.

Kirkus

Check out the Scientists in the Field website

www.sciencemeetsadventure.com