It's almost Halloween. That means it's time for a bat beauty contest

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Move over, Fat Bear Week. A bat beauty title is now stepping up to nan plate.

The Bureau of Land Management has hosted nan online title since 2019 to raise consciousness astir the animal’s ecological importance. The national agency posts photos of bats connected its Facebook and Instagram accounts, and past asks group to ballot for nan cutest one. The bats are portion of chaotic populations surviving connected nationalist lands, and are photographed by agency staff.

The first information of voting began Thursday and pitted a Townsend's big-eared bat named “Sir Flaps-A-Lot” from Utah against a hoary bat fittingly named “Hoary Potter” from Oregon. The title coincides pinch nan commencement of Bat Week, during which bat experts crossed nan state and nan world clasp acquisition events celebrating nan only flying mammal.

The defining characteristic of a Townsend's big-eared bat is, unsurprisingly, its ears, which tin scope a magnitude of 1.5 inches (38 millimeters). The ample ears chimney sound into nan receptor canal, supply assistance during formation and thief pinch somesthesia regulation, nan Bureau of Land Management said successful its Facebook station presenting nan first 2 contestants.

Hoary bats, meanwhile, are known for swift formation and wrapping themselves successful their ain tails to mimic leaves and hide from predators, nan agency said. Due to this attribute, it estimated Hoary Potter would beryllium “the cleanable campaigner for seeker connected this year's Quidditch team," referring to nan crippled successful Harry Potter that is played connected flying brooms.

Neither type are federally listed arsenic endangered. However, Oregon has included them connected its database of type needing conservation attention, and Utah has done nan aforesaid for nan Townsend's big-eared bat.

Emma Busk, nan BLM wildlife technician who photographed Hoary Potter, said bats astir nan world play a cardinal domiciled successful nan situation by eating insects and pollinating flowers and fruits. But they're progressively facing nan threats of residence loss, illness and ray pollution, and are often misunderstood arsenic scary illness carriers, she said.

“There's a batch of fearfulness and misconceptions astir bats,” she said, noting that group often subordinate rabies pinch nan animal. “But little than 1% of each bat populations really transportation rabies, and nan bat-to-human illness transmission is really really low.”

Busk is rooting for Hoary Potter successful nan hopes that an Oregon bat will triumph nan beauty title for a 3rd time. Last year, “William ShakespEAR,” a female Townsend's big-eared bat from confederate Oregon whom Busk besides photographed, claimed nan crown. And successful 2022, a canyon bat named "Barbara" likewise hailing from confederate Oregon was declared nan winner.

“Our effort each twelvemonth is to conscionable cod arsenic overmuch information arsenic we tin connected nan type successful our assets area, truthful that we do cognize really to amended protect them moving forward,” Busk said.

The beauty title will proceed successful rounds complete nan adjacent week. It's timed to wrap up connected Halloween adjacent Thursday, erstwhile nan victor will beryllium announced.