Wonderful World of Bats w/Dr Alyson Brokaw

All Creatures Podcast

Natural Sciences, Nature, Science

4.7 • 563 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Chris and guest Dr. Alyson Brokaw, a bat scientist and author of 'The Weird and Wonderful World of Bats,' dive deep into the fascinating physiology and ecology of bats. Dr. Brokaw discusses her journey into bat research, the diverse sensory modalities like echolocation and olfactory abilities, and how bats navigate their nocturnal world. The discussion also explores bats' critical roles in pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal and their impressive immune systems and longevity. Conservation status, unique bat species like the wrinkle-faced bat, and the dire need for more science funding to protect these incredible creatures are also highlighted. You can find more about Dr. Brokaw's Book HERE Podcast Timeline 00:00 Introduction to the Creatures Podcast 00:05 Meet Dr. Allison Brokaw: Bat Expert 01:05 The Fascinating Diversity of Bats 03:58 Dr. Brokaw's Journey into Bat Research 07:54 Understanding Bat Senses: Sight and Smell 17:02 Echolocation: The Science of Bat Communication 24:58 Behavioral Flexibility in Bat Calls 26:28 Bat Physiology: Hanging Upside Down 29:24 Evolutionary History of Bats 31:41 Bats' Immune System and Longevity 35:39 Conservation Status of Bats 39:28 Ecosystem Services Provided by Bats 45:26 Favorite Bat Species and Their Unique Traits 47:54 Writing the Book: Inspiration and Purpose 51:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts =========================================================== Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE. We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife. Please contact us at advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast You can also visit our website HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:05.2	At Betway Casino, stake 10 pounds and get 150 free spins for new customers.
0:12.6	18 plus T's and Capplied, Bet the Responsible Way, Gambleaware.org.
0:19.6	Are you looking for a podcast that your whole family can enjoy that asks the deep philosophical questions like, do trees fart?
0:27.8	If you are, then you'll love Tumble, a science podcast for kids. I'm Lindsay.
0:33.8	And I'm Marshall. Join us as we explore stories of science discovery, from butts to animals, dinosaurs, astronomy, and everything in between.
0:41.9	You'll love these stories, and you'll learn something new.
0:45.7	Find and follow Tumble Science Podcasts for Kids wherever you get your podcasts, or at Science Podcasts.com.
1:17.0	Music at sciencepodcast for kids.com. Welcome to the Onc Creatures podcast.
1:17.7	This is Chris.
1:20.7	Today I am joined with Dr. Allison Brokaw.
1:23.7	We are going to talk about bats.
1:29.0	And let me tell you, we're going to talk a lot about a physiology of bats. So this is almost like it's me and Angie having a podcast on a specific species because Dr. Broca is one of the
1:35.4	world experts in bats after doing so much education that we're going to talk about. And she's
1:41.6	also the author of the weird and wonderful world of bats. Say that five
1:46.4	times fast. But it is so true. So Allison, welcome to the All Creatures podcast. Thank you so much
1:52.5	for having me. Yeah. No, this is, this is exciting because, you know, we always cover so many species.
1:58.8	And Angie and I, for some reason, we just, when it comes to bats, I think we have like a little special place in our heart.
2:06.4	They're such incredible creatures, right?
2:08.5	Like, really, I do want to ask you about your origin story, but why have you devoted your career to studying these? They're incredible, incredible creatures.
2:21.4	Yeah. So I think just what just continues to fascinate me. And I think fascinates a lot of my
2:27.7	colleagues who also are right bat scientists is just how diverse bats are. And I feel like there's this element of just,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from All Creatures Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of All Creatures Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.