To help usher in Halloween, let’s take a look at some recent articles from Journal of Applied Ecology that explore different spooky animals and their environments!
Bats are probably the first creature to come to mind when Halloween is mentioned, but are they top of the list when someone mentions insectivores? A recent paper by Hochrien et al 2025, explores the impact that pesticides have on bat activity in Oak forests. What they found is that bats are on the hunt no matter what…
Pinaud et al, 2025 used acoustic monitoring to investigate the connectivity of bats to their environment during mass migration events. Using the data they collected, they created a regional connectivity model, that identified the main corridors connecting the main bat habitats in the region.
Other spooky creatures on the prowl includes feral cats, a mainstay on Mediterranean islands, but also present a complex eco-sociological dilemma as to how they should be managed. Using census data to estimate population dynamics, Ceccetti and Nelli, 2025 developed a Cat Population Dynamics Simulation – that helps policy makers and planners to find the best ways to manage feral cat populations. More here.
How else can species removal affect the landscape? Harrison et al, 2025 investigated the effect that ‘Predator Free Havens’ have on the local prey populations, especially their anti-predator mechanisms. Is being free of fear actually a net negative? Or do they remain on the lookout for frights?
Would a witches brew be complete without some frogs? Maybe they should look for them in older forest plots, as a recent study by Rakotozafy et al, 2025 investigated the impacts of agroecology on amphibian populations, and found a higher level of species richness in Old forests, when compared to younger agroecological plots.
Can’t get enough? Read some more spooky articles from our other journals, below:
Methods in Ecology and Evolution:
Journal of Animal Ecology:
People and Nature:
