Bats are often misunderstood, but for biologist and photographer José G. Martínez-Fonseca, they are some of the most fascinating animals on the planet. Originally from Nicaragua and now a postdoctoral researcher at Northern Arizona University, José has spent years documenting bat biodiversity, studying their behavior, and capturing close-up portraits that reveal just how expressive they really are.
To start, he told us about the moment he first realized bats were going to shape his life.
"I had my first experience with bats when I was 19 during a workshop that I signed up for out of sheer curiosity. I found them fascinating right away, and I think the biggest thing that impacted me was their diversity. I already liked photography and thought bats would be a great subject. I especially liked how portraits of their faces could tell you about their ecological habits. What has kept me interested after all these years is the different techniques needed to record bats in photos and videos."
He explained that photographing them is never boring, because their personalities constantly surprise him.
"All the time! Bats have a lot of personality. I handle many bats to collect data and photograph them, and during handling I see how different individuals of the same species can be. Bats are very intelligent and often I see them being attracted to the calls of other animals when we are working in the field. Of course, there are trends in behavior that are shared between some species, like free-tailed bats that seem to always have a smile on their faces."
José also shared how his photography directly supports conservation and education efforts back home in Nicaragua.
"Nicaragua is a fascinating place, incredibly diverse, and with great potential for new discoveries about the natural world. Unfortunately, there have been a lot of challenges in the conservation of natural resources and in documenting biodiversity there. As a Nicaraguan-born myself, I feel it is my duty to not only help with research in the country but also to contribute as much as I can to young biologists.
Last year I ran a workshop to train 15 students in bat handling and detection techniques. Our team also does a lot of outreach in the communities where we do bat research to highlight the value of bats to our ecosystems and to dispel myths about them. We have camera traps all across the country to document the movement and behaviors of understudied species. Over the last 15 years, the efforts of our team have resulted in numerous scientific publications from all over the country. We have increased the known number of bat species in Nicaragua to 116 — one of the highest per unit of area in the world. Plus, we have contributed to the knowledge of the ecology of many rare bat species – diet, movement, roosting preferences – which are essential to act in conserving them."
When asked if there is still a “dream bat” he hopes to photograph one day, he didn’t hesitate.
"It would be difficult for me to pick a single one. There are over 1,500 species in the world, many that are absolutely incredible. But if I had to pick, I would say the Visor Bat — an alien-looking species from South America that I find fascinating."
