A Toast To Bats That Pollinate Agave, And Tracking Monarchs

<p>You might think about bats as flitting around in the dark and hunting insects, but some species feed on fruits or flowers—and play an important role as pollinators. One place that role is crucial is in the relationship between bats and agave plants. Bat conservationist Kristen Lear joins Host Ira Flatow to describe <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/bats-agave-pollinator-monarch-migration-tracking/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=scifri" target="_blank">efforts to restore agaves</a> in the Southwest and Mexico, which has consequences for bats, for the ecosystems around the agave, and for your liquor cabinet, since agave is the source of drinks like tequila and mezcal.</p><p>Plus, journalist Dan Fagin joins Ira to discuss his recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/science/monarch-butterfly-migration-tracking-sensor.html?unlocked_article_code=1.108.w18T.8m0O7fbF7NXR&smid=url-share" target="_blank"><i>New York Times</i> article</a> on a new tech...