Hey there, you long-nosed bat!

It sounds like an insult. But it’s actually good news. 

Scientists have long wondered if Mexican long-nosed bats migrate through southeastern Arizona. They didn’t have proof. Now they do.

Researchers say they have a new way to track the endangered bats. How? They study their spit! Bats sip from hummingbird feeders and plants. They leave saliva behind. 

Conservationists teamed up with Arizonians, New Mexicans, and Texans. The citizen scientists swabbed for bat spit. The samples went to a lab at Northern Arizona University. Researchers looked for environmental DNA—or eDNA. The DNA would prove that Arizona was a part-time home for Mexican long-nosed bats.

The Mexican long-nosed bat has been listed as endangered since 1988. That means the creatures are at risk of dying out. This species is important. These bats pollinate cactus, agave, and other desert plants.

Officials announced the discovery in late January. But wildlife managers say we should celebrate something else too. The spit collecting!

“If we were trying to identify the species in the absence of eDNA, biologists could spend hours and hours trying to catch one of these bats. And even then, you’re not guaranteed to be successful,” says Angie McIntire. She is a bat specialist. Finding eDNA is “an additional tool for our toolkit,” she says.

Every spring, Mexican long-nosed bats travel a long path north from Mexico. They fly into the southwestern United States. They follow the sweet nectar of their favorite blooming plants. And now researchers know how to follow them.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. — Psalm 147:5