RAVISHING RODENT WINS BATTY BEAUTY CONTEST!

EARS and bison are the long-standing superstars of the national parks, but now bats are ready for their close-up!

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Hoping to move bats' image out of the belfry, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management sponsored a Bat Beauty Contest.

While most people think of the critters as flying rodents, the BLM points out they're actually environmental heroes -- they pollinate fruit, eat pesky insects and fertilize fields.

Competitors included a diverse range of bats, all of whom had been given batty but audience-appealing monikers.