Bats In a World of Echoes

About this book

Originally published in Swedish as Fladdermöss: I en Värld av Ekon

This comprehensive book about the lives of bats is about a group of peculiar, mythical and fascinating animals. They are mammals, just like us, but still so different. Bats: In a World of Echoes covers bats from Latin American Maya temples to Swedish potato cellars; from the plains of Kenya to the Taiwanese mountains.

We perceive their shadows flitting by in the summer nights, hear their mating calls in the darkness of autumn and see their silhouettes in the dim street light. The bats live in our houses and forage in our gardens and parks. But who are they and how do they lead their lives?

The text and exquisite photos give an unsurpassed insight into the world of sounds and smells that bats encounter each night. We are told about how their senses, way beyond our human perception abilities, shape their lives. We get to know more about their habits, their long evolution and their cohabitation with humans, and how important they are to the environment.

Contents

- Evolution and diversity
- Flight and morphology
- Senses
- Hunting and Feeding
- Arms Race
- Reproduction
- Hibernation and migration
- Roosts
- Living Together
- Under cover of darkness
- Of bats and men

Customer Reviews

Biography

Johan Eklöf (PhD) is a Swedish zoologist and copywriter. He works as a consultant with bat surveys, conservation biology, research, and scientific communication. Johan has published fictional as well as non-fictional books on bats, animal evolution and life in general. He travels throughout Sweden, not just in search of bats, but also to learn more about folklore and bat myths. In 2016, he received a scholarship from the Swedish Writers' Union to explore the field of bat mythology.

Jens Rydell (PhD) is a Swedish scientist and photographer, working with bat ecology and conservation at Lund University. Jens is the author of well over a hundred of scientific papers on bats and insects, lately with focus on the effects of wind power and artificial lighting. Jens was rewarded with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences conservation prize 2017 and was the same year nominated for the finals in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held by Natural History Museum in London.