Myotis bats in Pond Cave, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho

Myotis bats in Pond Cave, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho

There’s no need to join NASA if you want to see the Craters of the Moon. Take a trip to this national monument and preserve in Idaho and leave the spacesuit at home. The lava field topography inspired the lunar name, but the scenery is pure earthling territory, and home to 11 species of bats that live in the caves and forests of the preserve. In this photo, two different species of Myotis bats remind us that it’s Bat Appreciation Day today. And why not give praise to these flying mammals? These two will keep the beetle and moth population low by gobbling up the creepy-crawlies.