Talking Animals

Cyndi and George Marks, founders of The Florida Bat Conservancy

Cyndi and George Marks—founders of The Florida Bat Conservancy—discuss what first drew them to working with bats some 25 years ago, and how quickly this became what turned out to be a lifelong passion, with an emphasis on educating the public about bats as key way to serve the mission of protecting and preserving Florida’s native bats. 4ff56d5f977de-Florida Bat ConservancyBy addressing why they believe bats seem to be so polarizing, the Markses also address some of the most egregious myths and misconceptions that hover over the bat world, and explain where they typically live—including effective (& ineffective) locations to place bat houses. The couple discuss bat’s prodigious consumption of mosquitoes and other flying insects—one bat can eat as many as 1000 in a night. At which point, incorporating Scooter, one of the bats they brought into the studio, and a bat detector–a small device that measures and amplifies bats’ echolocation at various frequencies—they demonstrate how Scooter’s echolocation “screaming” sounds when it would otherwise would not be detectable by human ears, and how this process enables Scooter and his bat brethren to catch that number of flying insects.  They also note bats’ life expectancy and their predators, as well as fielding several questions from listeners. (www.floridabats.org)

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ALSO: We spoke briefly with Melanie Sue Bowles, founder and director of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, the 22-year-old facility for abandoned and abused horses, now based in Lincolnton, GA. Also an author, Bowles first book, “The Horses Of Proud Spirit,” was recently issued in paperback. (www.horsesofproudspirit.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Jeff Wayne’s “Pet People”  (www.jeffbigdaddywayne.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  Neil Hefti’s “Batman Theme”

AUDIO ARCHIVE: