Researchers tracked 71 common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) to parse their migration patterns. Kamran Safi / Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorMore than 1,400 species of bats exist worldwide, making them some of the most widespread creatures on Earththey can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. Chances are, theres one not too far from you right now. But despite the animals prevalence, their migration patterns remain largely a mystery. Their speed, small size and nocturnal nature make studying bats challenging. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior are shining a rare light inside the black box of bat migration.In a new study published in Science this month, a team of biologists used tiny tags attached between bats shoulder blades to track their movements. The tags, which the researchers developed, used the Internet of Thingsa wireless network of computers, smartphones and devices that can transfer informationto triangulate the bats position.On certain nights, we saw an explosion of departures that looked like bat fireworks, lead author Edward Hurme, a biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, says in a statement. We needed to figure out what all these bats were responding to on those particular nights.The team followed the movements of 71 female noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) across central Europe during their spring migrations. They tagged bats across three years, though each bats tracker fell off naturally after about four weeks. Originally tagged in Switzerland, the bats later dispersed, flying in a general northeastern direction to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, reports Sciences Elizabeth Pennisi. The research revealed that when the bats migrated, they would fly up to 238 miles each nightnearly 125 miles longer than previously thought. The trackers remained on the bats for up to four weeks, then they naturally fell off. MPI of Animal Behavior / Christian ZieglerAfter incorporating weather data into their analysis, the researchers concluded that the bats coordinate their movements with warm fronts that precede storms. These nifty night surfers use the strong winds generated by the front to get a boost to their destinationand expend less energy in the process, according to the paper.This was actually a big surprise. We had some clue that bats were responding to good wind conditions, but we didnt think that there was this connection to storms, Hurme told NPRs Jonathan Lambert.The scientists still dont know how the bats can predict a storm is coming, but they hope the technology they developed will allow for more bat studies.This technology revolutionizes the tracking of bat movements and will surely help researchers answer many questions about migration, says Charlotte Roemer, a conservation biologist at Frances National Museum of Natural History who was not involved in the study, to Science. The possibilities are very exciting.For instance, further research on this topic might help protect bats from human-caused fatalities, especially as the animals are increasingly endangered. Understanding where and when bats migrate could help wind turbine operators mitigate collisions with the blades, which are the cause of millions of bat deaths globally each year.More studies like this will pave the way for a system to forecast bat migration, Hurme says in the statement. We can be stewards of bats, helping wind farms to turn off their turbines on nights when bats are streaming through.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Bats, Biology, Conservation, Internet, Mammals, Migration, New Research, Technology