Forget spooky: These bats are competing for the ultimate beauty title this Halloween
The competition began with eight bats, all different species named after Hollywood stars but with a batty twist.
FILE: How bats play an important role in the ecosystem
Audubon Zoo New Orleans curator Liz Wilson joined FOX Weather on Sunday to explain how bats play an important role in our ecosystem.
It's Bat Week, and to celebrate, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is holding a competition to highlight some of America's bats in a beauty contest.
The competition began with eight bats, all different species named after Hollywood stars, but with a batty twist.
Voting opened on Oct. 24 and the winner of the contest will be announced on Halloween.
SEE IT: MONSTER GREAT WHITE SHARK SPLASHES CALIFORNIA SURFERS AS IT LURKS JUST FEET AWAY
MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - JUNE 11: Fruit bats fly in the sky above Mongbwalu on June 11, 2026 in Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
(Michel Lunanga / Getty Images)
National Bat Week and the contest highlight the importance of bats to the environment, and shed a little light on the good these tiny flying creatures can do, despite their often dark or bad depictions.
Meet the eight contestants in the competitions, and find out which bats are rising to the top of the competition leader board so far:
Batty White
Batty White, named after the late, great actress Betty White, is a hairy-legged vampire bat.
She's one of only three vampire bat species on Earth, and her preferred meal is bird blood, according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK REPORTS FIRST CASE EVER OF DEADLY BAT FUNGAL DISEASE
Her fuzzy legs may not just be for appearances, as the BLM said scientists think it may help her sense vibrations and navigate while climbing around in the dark in search of her next meal.
Batty white, the hairry-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata).
(Josè G. Martìnez-Fonseca / FOX Weather)
As a species, hairy-legged vampire bats can be found from Mexico and throughout Central and South America, the Bureau of Land Management said.
Chappell Flown
Getting her name from the red-haired pop icon Chappell Roan, Mexican greater funnel-eared bat Chappell Flown, is another contestant in this year's 2026 bat beauty contest.
This bat is named for its uniquely shaped ears, the Bureau of Land Management said.
FLORIDA MANATEE LEFT STRANDED AS EXTREME LOW TIDE REVEALS HIDDEN DANGER OF KING TIDES
Chappell Flown, the Mexican greater funnel-eared bat (Natalus mexicanus).
(Josè G. Martìnez-Fonseca / FOX Weather)
These fiery-colored bats eat insects and can live in colonies of up to 300 bats.
They're widely distributed across the Americas.
ChewBATca
ChewBATca is another of this year's beauty contest participants who is named after Chewbacca the Wookie from Star Wars.
ChewBATca is a big brown bat, one of the most common bats in North America, and lives in Canada, all throughout the U.S. and into Central and northern South America, the Bureau of Land Management said.
ILLEGAL SNAKE CAPTURED IN HAWAII, PUNISHABLE WITH $200K FINE AND PRISON TIME
Big brown bat (ptesicus fuscus) ChewBATca.
(Hannah Cowan, ACE and BLM Utah)
This fluffy bat can be found in nearly every habitat you can think of, from forests to cities, farmland, caves and beyond.
One single brown bat can eat more than 1,000 insects in a night, the Bureau of Land Management said.
Count Frostula
Count Frostula, is a hoary bat. "Hoary" means grayish-white, which is appropriate for this bat's frosted-looking tips.
Named after Count Dracula, Count Frostula is a solitary bat who likes to roost in trees.
RABIES CONCERNS GROW AFTER RECORD NUMBER OF INFECTED BATS FOUND IN LOS ANGELES
Count Frostula the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus).
(Cameron McQuivey, )
Hoary bats have a furry tail membrane that looks like a cape, the Bureau of Land Management said.
These bats are another widespread bat species across North America.
Dolly BATton
Dolly BATton is a Western small-footed bat named after legendary singer Dolly Parton.
A tiny night-flyer, Dolly BATton's species takes to the skies for their next meal, eating insects like moths, flies and beetles.
MANHATTAN’S NEWEST CELEBRITIES ARE CAUSING A STIR — AND THEY’RE NOT WHO YOU’D EXPECT
Dolly BATton, the Western small-footed bat.
(BLM MTDAKs photo / FOX Weather)
Western small-footed bats use echolocation to navigate and search for food as well, the Bureau of Land Management said.
Their tiny feet are a key identification feature of these brown bats.
Guano Reeves
Guano Reeves is a Townsend's big-ear bat named after multi-talented actor Keanu Reeves.
This North American bat is an evening and night-flyer, emerging after sunset.
VENOMOUS SPIDERS HAVE A SURPRISING SURVIVAL SECRET THAT HAS SCIENTISTS TAKING NOTICE
Guano Reeves, a Townsend's big-eared bat.
(John Larsen, BLM Utah / FOX Weather)
Easily identified by their extremely long ears, these bats use echolocation to find insects for their food.
The Three MusketEARS
A trio of bats named after the Three Musketeers, these bats are also Townsend's big-eared bats, like Guano Reeves.
In addition to the facts listed above, Townsend's big-eared bats can be found all over North America, from Canada to Mexico.
VENOMOUS ANIMAL WITH AN ADORABLE APPEARANCE MAKES REMARKABLE COMEBACK AFTER NEARLY 90 YEARS
The Three MusketEARS, a trio of Townsend's big-eared bats.
(Rebecca Urbanczyk, BLM Nevada / FOX Weather)
They prefer to use caves and abandoned mines to roost and hibernate in the winter.
"Sadly, their populations have declined in many areas due to habitat disturbance," the Bureau of Land Management said.
Ryan GosWING
The final bat in the competition, but by no means the least popular, is Ryan GosWING, named after actor Ryan Gosling.
Ryan GosWING is a pallid bat, a large, pale-colored furred bat.
WATCH: ORPHANED BABY WALRUS RESCUED IN ALASKA FINDS NEW HOME OVER 4,000 MILES AWAY IN FLORIDA
These bats can be found from Western Canada to Mexico, and hunt primarily by sound, using their large ears to guide them.
Ryan GosWING, a pallid bat.
(Emma Busk, BLM Oregon/Washington / FOX Weather)
Pallid bats are talented pollinators, officials said, using a ground-gleaning hunting style.
Pallid bats like Ryan GosWING are often affected by noise pollution.
Ryan GosWING was announced as the first finalist in the competition, with the last few rounds of semifinals underway.
To vote in the competition, learn more and see the winner, visit the 2026 Bat Beauty Contest page on the BLM's website.