photo contest | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

Bats, our only flying mammals, are truly remarkable animals. It’s too bad their unwarranted reputation has prevented many people from appreciating how beneficial and unique they are.

All bats found in Massachusetts are insectivores. They feed primarily at night, catching thousands of mosquitoes, moths, and other night-flying insects. It is estimated that an individual bat can eat 600 insects per hour!

Here are five photos of bats to celebrate these beneficial little beasts. Learn all about bat behavior, species, and anatomy, check out Bats By the Numbers, and find out what you should do if you encounter a bat.

Bat © David McChesney

Bat © Serah Rose Roth

Bat in Flight © Jeff Wills

Bat © Dave Shattuck

Bat © Justen Walker

Crows have long suffered under the reputation of being “bad.” Crows raid crops, frequently steal eggs and chicks from other bird nests, and have been known to steal shiny objects such as articles of jewelry from people.

Yet, these vocal black birds are among the most intelligent. Crow are said to be able to count (to a point) and they are also known to be very discriminating in their abilities to identify specific objects.

Here are five photos of crows* from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. Notice a theme with our Take 5 posts? All this month, leading up to Halloween, we’re spotlighting wildlife that’s “spooky,” “creepy,” and goes “bump” in the night. BOO!