Books on Bats
Written by Karlissa J
If you’re interested in learning more about the stars of my first book, Kingdom of Bats, here are a few books I’ve found to be worthwhile reads!
“The Secret Lives of Bats” by Merlin Tuttle (2015)
This biography/bat-book was written by Merlin Tuttle, a leader in bat photography (including for the National Geographic) and conservation. Inside are stories of charming bats – friendly and intelligent – for the animal lover. For those who like a little thrill, there are retellings of potentially dangerous and deadly troubles the author has found (or often enough, put) himself in, which vary between quite humorous and sobering. And there is lots about the people – from researchers to hunters, bat haters to bat fans, smugglers to monks – whom Tuttle has encountered in his life’s work.
“Bats of the World” by Gary L. Graham, Ph. D. (2002)
This fun little guide goes through some basics about bats , before diving into species accounts covering all 20 families of bats: everything from little brown bats (and Myotis in general) to smoky bats. It is nicely pocket-sized, so can be read on the go!
“Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Bats” by Kim Williams, Rob Mies, and Donald and Lillian Stokes (2002)
This field guide features all 45 species of Canadian and American bats. What I like most is that for each species there is a description for identifying them in flight – handy, since most people see bats flying far more often than roosting, and it can be hard to know what you’re looking at when it’s in motion.
“Bats” by Phil Richardson (2011)
I personally think this book is a must-have for those wanting to go deeper into the world of bats, as it goes more in-depth into bat biology than the other books I’ve mentioned, in addition to covering much of the world’s diversity of bats. My highlights include a visual listing of the 20 families, a map showing how many species live in different countries around the world, and the myriad of quality photos.
“Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species” by Marianne Taylor and (editor) Merlin Tuttle - published in 2019
Following a thorough introduction section - outlining bat biology and ecology - comes an extensive collection of species profiles. Not every bat species receives a profile - there are well over 1,000 species - but every species (as recognized at the time of this book) that doesn’t get a profile is still covered in a text section about genera of bats. A book for the devoted bat fan!
