What is bat friendly?

With the expansion of the Agave plantations to produce tequila and mescal and the harvesting practices to increase the production of this beverages, bats are left with little to no flowers to feed upon and the plants do not have the possibility to exchange genes. The decline in genetic diversity of the plants risks the health of the crops and could determine their survival in face of diseases or stochastic events.

In view of this scenario, concerned with the conservation of bats and tequila, tequila and mescal industries through the Tequila Interchange Project (TIP) joined forces with Dr. Rodrigo Medellin to promote the pollination of agave plants by bats and learn more about their relationship to the plants that give us these magnificent beverages.

My project contributes significantly to this initiative and all your donations will go directly to scientific research to partially fund my PhD project. If you want to be a major donor to this project and learn more about genes and migration of these bats feel free to contact me. To learn more about the certification as bat friendly contact TIP or the Laboratorio de Ecología y Conservación de Vertebrados Terrestres, UNAM.

 

Leptonycteris yerbabuenae covered in pollen. Photo: Pamela G. Thompson

 http://www.tequilainterchangeproject.org/ 

 http://www.ecologia.unam.mx/Laboratorios/rmedellin/