International Bat Appreciation Day Apr 17, 2026

International Bat Appreciation Day

On April 17, International Bat Appreciation Day flips its cape to the planet"s night shift: bats. With more than 1,400 species on every continent except Antarctica, these winged mammals keep ecosystems balanced. They"ve been on Earth for over 50 million years, and only three species are true vampires. Found only in the Americas, these bats feed on blood, while the rest survive on insects, fruit, nectar, or pollen. In Texas, Bracken Cave can host up to 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats in summer. Many gulp crop pests, cutting pesticide use; others pollinate wild agaves and disperse seeds that help forests rebound.

© Doug Gimesy/Nature Picture Library

palette

Today in History

Apr 17, 2018The Children’s Cultural Festival in Reykjavik begins today
Apr 17, 2019Happy birthday to the Peak!
Apr 17, 2020It s a ruff life
Apr 17, 2021A river runs through it
Apr 17, 2022Easter
Apr 17, 2023International Haiku Poetry Day
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerging into spring
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 3, 2020A Carpathian Christmas celebration
Sep 8, 2021Enter the magical world of Livraria Lello
Sep 29, 2025The Rainbow Houses of Houten, Netherlands
Mar 12, 2021Ringing in the new year at Teotihuacan
Jun 26, 2023Château de Villandry, France
Jul 6, 2025Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, California
Jun 5, 2024World Environment Day
Apr 17, 2019Happy birthday to the Peak!
Mar 26, 2024Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore in California
Aug 30, 2023International Whale Shark Day
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Jun 28, 2024Pride 2024
Jan 20, 2026Penguin Awareness Day
May 29, 2019A ‘circus of chaos’ for Stravinsky
Dec 24, 2021Smoking nights in Austria
Feb 4, 2026Rosa Parks Day
Jan 18, 2019An opulent backdrop for a historic event
Jun 20, 2020 Beyond Walls for World Refugee Day
Feb 24, 2018A red fox on the Swiss side of the Jura Mountain range
Jun 6, 2022Indigo bunting
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Mar 7, 2022Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Sep 15, 2025Dallas Latino Cultural Center for Hispanic Heritage
Sep 17, 2022Oktoberfest
Mar 26, 2018The Unfinished Obelisk near Aswan, Egypt
Mar 8, 2024International Womens Day
May 1, 2024Lei Day
Sep 20, 2019Fall comes to Pando
Apr 30, 2021The Spirit of Harlem by Louis Delsarte