We measure the bats to help us indentify them and for general knowledge. The information is also stored in a state database for bats.

Back east, there’s a white mold or fungus growing on bats, and apparently it makes them use up their winter fat sooner while hibernating and fly out looking for food while everything’s still covered in snow, and starving to death. If they can’t stop it, the bat population could be decimated and that spells trouble!

I assume the info is stored locally unless they come up with something worth publishing.

And I was just along for the ride. I do tours/interp at the cave rather than interesting scientific stuff like this. I’d love to be the one untangling those bats from the net (even that scary hissing one!) but I’d have to get an expensive panel of rabies shots first (although someone just told me that bats don’t carry rabies after all).