Bats play an important role in protecting the ecological balance of the natural world. Various insectivorous bats can eliminate many mosquitoes, night moths, scarabs and other pests. They can prey more than 3,000 overnight, which is beneficial to humans. Due to the rapid population growth and excessive urban expansion in the past century or so, many bat species have declined sharply. It is imperative to rescue those endangered bat species. However, to protect the population of bats, we must first study and understand their daily habits. This is more difficult. Generally, bats are small, usually go out for food at night, and fly quickly.

Through a series of experiments, ecologists found that infrared thermal imaging skills are extremely feasible and effective as an important method to explore and understand the habit of the bats.

Prof. Gareth Jones leads a well-known bat research group to evaluate the practicality of using infrared thermal imaging skills in bat research projects. Researchers expect to be able to observe and study the appearance of bats from their habitats and their flying behavior with InfraTec's VarioCAM? Hr high-performance infrared camera. In all three cases, infrared thermography skills show clear advantages compared to traditional observation skills.

Bats can be detected through thin building materials such as linoleum.

In low light conditions, infrared thermal imagers can more accurately observe bat habitat than traditional observation skills.

In a project to study the effects of artificial lighting on bat flying behavior, bats travel to and from habitats and predation areas. The images of bat flying acquired by infrared cameras are much clearer than conventional near infrared (NIR) images. When Daubenton's bats are preying on water, the surface reflects the heat of their bodies, and researchers can use this to calculate the height at which the bats fly.

The infrared thermal imager does not require external light source illumination, so that it can not affect the natural behavior of the bat, and the infrared thermal imaging is not affected by external light such as street lamps. As a result, the VarioCAM hr high-performance infrared camera is ideal for observing and studying bats in a variety of conditions (city, field, or roadside).