Museum Members Meet Rob Mies, Bat Expert

In October, over 100 Museum members met Rob Mies, TV personality and Director of the Organization for Bat Conservation. Rob brought along several injured bats in the process of rehabilitation, and spoke about the benefits of bats, why we need to conserve them, and what people can do to help these unique mammals.

Rob Mies is a conservation biologist, bat expert, and author. He has appeared on The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Martha Stewart. Rob and his wife, Kim Williams, are authors of over 12 books including the first field guide to the bats of the United States and Canada, Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats. His research includes the endangered Indiana Bat of the United States, endangered Rodrigues Fruit Bat in the Indian Ocean, and Australia's threatened Spectacled Flying Fox.

"I learned a lot about bats," said Museum member Jill B. "I usually think of bats moving around by flying, so it was really interesting to watch these bats with injured wings climbing around. I've also always thought of all bats using echolocation to find their food, but it turns out only half of them eat insects – the other species that eat fruit use their sense of smell to find their meals."

Mies detailed some unusual bat statistics and explored their benefits, habitats, and nocturnal strategies. Visitors met a local bat from North America and heard its high-pitched sound with a "bat detector"; they also met a straw-colored fruit bat from Africa; and an Egyptian fruit bat (just like "Stellaluna").

For the finale, Mies revealed a show stopper: the largest bat in the world, the Gigantic Flying Fox Bat from Malaysia with a six-foot wingspan.