(askaudubon)
by Carolyn Shea

Illustration by Jonas Bergstrand

How do animals that store their food in different locations find it later on?

—Ross Schennum, Elgin, Illinois

To the average car-key-losing human who is blessed with a conveniently located kitchen larder, the thought of unearthing thousands of nuts and seeds hidden months ago in hundreds of different spots boggles the mind. Yet that's exactly what some animals do. Many species depend on autumn caches for winter survival. Some store food in dispersed food caches—an approach known as scatter hoarding. Until recently, scientists believed squirrels and other scatter hoarders, like chickadees and titmice, remembered the general whereabouts of their reserves and relied on other cues or senses, such as olfaction, to reclaim their stockpiles. But now, says Michael Steele, a Wilkes University biologist, "we know that both birds and mammals remember the exact locations of specific caches." Take the Clark's nutcracker, a champion at this hide-and-seek strategy. In the fall a single bird may bury pine seeds in 2,000 separate spots, then return in the winter to retrieve them, with a high level of accuracy. One nutcracker was observed digging through eight inches of snow to recover its stash. It turns out that food cachers have keen spatial memories, which means they can recall the precise locations of stationary features like trees and then triangulate from these landmarks to pinpoint their stockpiles. This type of memory is processed in the brain's hippocampus. Studies have found that seed-caching birds have larger hippocampi than non-seed cachers, and that this structure actually enlarges in the caching season. Good grounds for turning the term birdbrain on its head.

Why are there no fireflies in the West?

—Samuel Genia, Olympia, Washington

Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are common names for beetles belonging to the family Lampyridae, the Latin word for "torchbearer." According to Purdue University entomologist Tom Turpin, there are three types of fireflies: "Those that produce light as adults and larvae, those that do not produce light as adults but do as larvae—these are called glowworms—and those that do not produce light in either stage." Members of the last group have been dubbed with the oxymoron dark fireflies. Turpin reports that firefly species—there are more than 170 in the United States—do inhabit the West, but they are generally the unilluminated kind. Still, there are exceptions. Parts of Utah boast bioluminescent adults, and Arizona's Jicarilla Apache tribe has a legend about fire originating from the insects—it seems doubtful that the Apaches would have this story without having seen fireflies. In the end, no one knows why many western Americans are deprived of the glow-in-the-dark beetles. It may be a matter of geographic isolation and aridity. Science has yet to shed light on the mystery.

Illustration by Jonas Bergstrand

How do I remove a bat from my house?

—Anna Deming, New Haven, Connecticut

First, don't panic. despite their bad rap, bats do not come out of hell, and they seldom transmit rabies to people. In fact, the animals provide us with a host of benefits, from insect mitigation to crop pollination and seed dispersal. Even the unfairly maligned vampire bat may soon turn out to be an angel in disguise. An anticoagulant from the species' saliva is being investigated for the treatment of heart disease. We humans, on the other hand, are these mammals' worst enemies. So if you encounter a bat in your home, keep things in perspective. It probably got in by accident. If you can't be sure that no human or pet was bitten, you should call your local animal control or public health agency. If help isn't immediately available, put on a pair of work gloves—never handle wildlife with your bare hands—and place a small container over the animal after it has landed. As soon as possible, have it tested for rabies by your local health department. If you're certain no exposure has taken place, confine the bat to one room, open a window, and let it escape. Incidentally, bats often seek shelter in manmade structures because their traditional roosts have been destroyed. Habitat loss is a major factor in the reduction of bat populations around the globe. More than half of American bat species are endangered or in serious decline. Consider putting up a bat house as a haven for these beleaguered animals. For more information, or for tips on how to bat-proof your home, contact your local wildlife agency or Bat Conservation International (www.batcon.org).