Skip to main content
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • ASK US
Home South Florida Water Management District
  • Who We Are
    • Governing Board Chairman
    • Open Government
    • Governing Board
    • Budget & Finance Reports
    • Careers
    • Locations
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Flood Control
    • Water Supply Planning
    • Water Quality Improvement
    • Ecosystem Restoration
    • Python Elimination Program
    • Addressing Blue-Green Algae
    • Resiliency
  • Doing Business with Us
    • Permits
    • RegPermitting
    • ePermitting
    • Right of Way Permits
    • Procurement
    • Real Estate
    • Grants/Funding Opportunities
  • Community & Residents
    • Water Conservation
    • Recreation
    • Navigation
    • Education Center
    • Everglades License Plate
  • Science & Data
    • Real-Time Data
    • Vertical Datum Upgrade
    • Scientific Publications & SFER
    • DBHYDRO
    • Weather
    • Operational Planning
    • GIS
    • Survey Data
    • Modeling
  • News & Meetings
    • News Releases
    • Public Meetings
    • Calendar
    • Speakers Bureau
    • Media, Photo & Video
    • Fact Sheets
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Locations
  1. Home
  2. news events
  3. news
  4. misunderstood mammal why bats are beneficial south florida

Categories

Resiliency

Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency
Resiliency

Meetings & Notices

Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices
Meetings & Notices

Did You Know?

Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know?

News

News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News

Navigation

Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation

Weather

Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather
Weather

Recreation

Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation
Recreation

Python

Python
Python
Python
Python
Python
Python

Water Conservation

Water Conservation
Water Conservation

Flood protection

Flood protection
Flood protection
Flood protection
Flood protection

Restoration

Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration
Restoration

Everglades

Everglades
Everglades

Governing Board

Governing Board
Governing Board

Conservation

Conservation
Conservation
Conservation
Conservation
Conservation
Conservation
Conservation

Public Advisory

Public Advisory

Flooding

Flooding
Flooding
Flooding

Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee

News Archive


Recent Posts

Reminder: Resiliency Coordination Forum on Wednesday, May 28, 2025
DYK: It’s Water Reuse Week!
Upcoming SFWMD Public Meetings
A Misunderstood Mammal: Why Bats Are Beneficial to South Florida
Tue October 26, 2021
Category
Did You Know?
group of bats

 

We’re celebrating Bat Week (Oct. 24-31, 2021) this week by focusing on some of our wildlife conservation and survey efforts to better understand bat populations in South Florida. Did you know that Florida has 13 resident species of bats? Of these 13 resident species, eight species of bats call South Florida home. 

The spooky truth is that the benefits of bats are often overshadowed by myth and legends that contribute to fear and false assumptions about the world’s only flying mammal. Bats provide many ecological benefits, including: 

  • All natural pest control: All of the bat species found in South Florida are insectivorous, meaning their diet primarily consists of insects. A single bat can eat hundreds of insects in one night – helping to control the populations of disease-spreading mosquitoes.
  • Pollination/seed-dispersal: Bats feed on the insects found in flowers. Some bats feed upon the nectar of certain night-blooming flowers. Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination or seed dispersal including bananas, mangoes and guava.
  • Food source: Bats are part of the food web and are a food source for many raptors like owls and hawks.

In addition to flying, bats also use echolocation to find insects and navigate at night. Almost all bats echolocate at frequencies typically too high to be heard by the human ear. However, one of the few bat calls that can be heard by humans comes from one of the rarest bats in the world, found only in South Florida: the endangered Florida Bonneted Bat.

All bat species are protected by law in Florida to conserve their populations. To aid in this effort, SFWMD staff routinely conduct surveys of tree cavities and our human-made structures. SFWMD staff also use acoustical surveys in parts of the District that fall within the range of the endangered Florida Bonneted Bat. Special equipment is installed at key locations and left on-site for about two weeks at a time to record bat chitters and calls. That data is then visually represented in a sonogram. 

Some species have taken to roosting in homes, sheds, and businesses. If you have bats near you, do not harm them or attempt to remove them yourself. For more information read the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's “Bats in Buildings” guide.

Happy Bat Week!

  • ASK US
  • Who We Are
    • Governing Board
    • Big Cypress Basin Board
    • Open Government
    • Public Records Request
  • Our Work
    • Flood Control
    • Resiliency
    • Emergency Management
    • Water Supply Planning
    • Water Quality Improvement
    • Ecosystem Restoration
    • Land Management
  • Community and Residents
    • Water Conservation
    • Year-Round Rule
    • Recreation
    • Educational Center
    • Volunteering
  • Doing Business with Us
    • Permits
    • RegPermitting
    • ePermitting
    • Right of Way Permits
    • Procurement
    • Real Estate
    • Grants/Funding
    • Agriculture
    • AVATAR
  • Science and Information/Data
    • Real-Time Data
    • Water Levels
    • Scientific Publications & SFER
    • DBHYDRO
    • Weather
    • Operational Planning
    • Environmental Monitoring
    • Modeling
  • News and Events
    • News Releases
    • Meeting Agendas & Minutes
    • Calendar
    • Photo and Video Resources
South Florida Water Management District

Contact Information

3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406

561-686-8800

800-432-2045 (Florida Only)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • ASK US
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
  • Locations
  • Careers