Just in time for Halloween — the Bat Beauty Contest celebrates the oft-feared flying mammals.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has pitted several of the small flying creatures against each other for the competition.
Entrants come with names including Hoary Potter and Honey Bunches of Myotis, while others vying for victory are Robert Battinson, Bat Damon and Batlor Swift.
Each October, the BLM hosts the event to find the “most stunning bat” photographed on public lands across the county.
Last year, William ShakespEAR, a Townsend’s big-eared bat, scooped the title.
Emma Busk, a BLM wildlife technician who photographs many of the bats, said: “William is actually a female. Townsend’s big-eared bats form maternity colonies in the spring before they have their pups.”
The event began on 24 October and the winner will be crowned on Halloween.
It also coincides with International Bat Week to raise awareness about bat conservation and their essential role in the natural world.
BLM wildlife biologists perform regular checks on Oregon caves to keep an eye on bat populations and monitor for symptoms of white-nose syndrome, which can kill hibernating bats.
“It’s important that we fact check what we think we know about bats,” said Busk. “There are a lot of myths around bats, but they’re amazing wildlife and they contribute so much to our ecosystem.”
