Each year, we ask our travelers to submit their favorite photos from their journeys with us for a chance to be featured in our annual calendar. This year, as always, we had many great submissions, and it was a challenge to narrow it down. We're excited to share the finished result! Thank you to everyone who submitted their photos and shared their stories with us. This year's cover captures an expressive bat and its roostmates in Costa Rica. Check back on our blog to see each Photo of the Month, or click here to view the full calendar.

These are Honduran white bats. They are in a family called “tent-making bats.” Here you can see how they have clipped the spine of a heliconia leaf so that it collapses and makes a “tent” for them to roost in. Eight to 16 bats typically share a roost. One of the challenges in photographing them is how to light them in the dark underside of the leaf. I don't like using flash, so I have a small LED light panel. It creates a soft, even light that doesn't disturb the bats. They are the cutest little bats I have ever seen. Fun fact: they are not found in Honduras. There are lots of ways I like to photograph this species. A macro lens works well to show details, but here I used a wide angle fisheye lens to show them in their habitat. I just love the green leaf!

Todd Gustafson
Gustafson Photo Safari