The Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos (CCVL) will show “Bats in the Lights”, from 11th August to 30th October. This is an exhibition with five modules and explores the “curious world of bats”, showing their importance, the threats they face and how they can be protected.According to the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos, «one of the main objectives of the exhibition is also to raise awareness of the need to change negative attitudes and behaviors associated with these flying mammals».
«The bats that exist in Portugal are essentially insectivores, eating nocturnal butterflies, beetles, crickets and other small flying insects, such as mosquitoes. Some species of bats eat half their own weight of insects in a single night, giving them a fundamental role in the balance of ecosystems, as controllers of agricultural and forest pests”, adds the Center.
The dimensions of bats «are very variable, with the smallest bat in the world being the bee bat, weighing 2g, and the largest in the world are the flying foxes, which can reach 1,5m in wingspan».
Worldwide there are about 1200 species of bats, and in Portugal there are 27 species, which represent 40% of mammals in our country. Nine of these species are threatened.
Produced by Centro Ciência Viva do Alviela, this exhibition was developed within the scope of the Quiroptário Fora de Portas project and has as partners the Municipality of Alcanena, the Intermunicipal Community of Médio Tejo and Ciência Viva – National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture. This is the second time that CCVL has dedicated its attention to bats after the 2013 photographic exhibition, Morcegos Lusos produced by the National Museum of Natural History and Science.
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