It's almost Halloween. That means it's time for a bat beauty contest

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The first round of voting began Thursday and pitted a Townsend's big-eared bat named “Sir Flaps-A-Lot” from Utah against a hoary bat fittingly named “Hoary Potter” from Oregon. “But less than 1% of all bat populations actually carry rabies, and the bat-to-human disease transmission is actually really low.” Busk is rooting for Hoary Potter in the hopes that an Oregon bat will win the beauty contest for a third time. Last year, “William ShakespEAR,” a female Townsend's big-eared bat from southern Oregon whom Busk also photographed, claimed the crown.