http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/logos/usgs_only.jpg USGS Multimedia Gallery for Set: Bats http://gallery.usgs.gov/ en-us OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/USGS.gif USGS http://gallery.usgs.gov/ <![CDATA[Wind energy facility in the Northeastern United States. An unexpected number of dead bats began appearing beneath industrial-scale wind turbines in North America and Europe during the past 10 years.]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_0 <![CDATA[Wind turbines at certain sites in North America each cause dozens of bat fatalities per year. ]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_1 <![CDATA[Most modern wind turbines are taller than a 30-story building. Field biologist Apple Snider stands at the base of a turbine in New York for scale.]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_2 <![CDATA[This photo shows one of the three 135-ft blades of a turbine before installation. Although the blades of wind turbines appear to move quite slowly to the human eye, blade tips often move at speeds faster than 100 mph. ]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_3 <![CDATA[A hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) roosting on the branch of a tree. About half of all bat fatalities documented in North America involve hoary bats, a migratory species that roosts in the foliage of trees.]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_4 <![CDATA[A hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) found dead beneath a wind turbine, an apparent victim of a blade strike or near-contact barotrauma (lung failure from severe and abrupt pressure change; here, caused by the spinning blades). Prior to the problem of bat fatalities at wind turbines, biologists rarely encountered hoary bats.]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_5 <![CDATA[USGS biologist Paul Cryan examines the carcass of a hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) found beneath a wind turbine. By examining the casualties, biologists hope to learn more about why migratory bats are so susceptible to wind turbines. ]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_6 <![CDATA[USGS biologist Paul Cryan. Biologists hope to learn more about the scale and causes of bat fatalities at wind turbines by searching for carcasses of bats beneath turbines and carefully documenting the conditions under which they are found.]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_7 <![CDATA[The species of bats that are most susceptible to wind turbines all roost in trees throughout the year, leading some scientists to speculate that they may be visually mistaking wind turbines for trees in which to roost.]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_8 <![CDATA[Some of the larger wind energy facilities in North America are composed of hundreds of wind turbines dispersed across tens of thousands of acres, like this one in Colorado. ]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_9 <![CDATA[USGS biologist Paul Cryan releases a bat carrying a miniature radio transmitter. Researchers are increasingly turning to high-tech methods to try to learn more about the mysterious lives of bats. ]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/10_19_2009_s84Aq11PPk_10_19_2009_10