Little Brown Bats are found throughout North America and are one of the continent's most abundant Bat species. Their bodies are a glossy brown color, while their wing membranes are dark, almost black.
The Little Brown Bat is a colonial rooster. During the summer months they live in same sex groups, but when winter nears and mating season is in full swing they will intermingle near the hibernation sites before roosting in numbers that can count into the thousands!
These Bats have separate roosting sites when hibernating and not hibernating, and these locations are chosen based on their size, temperature, and humidity. A night roost, for example, is typically a smaller, more enclosed space. This is so the small colony can remain warm.
Like most Bats, the Little Browns hunt around nightfall and use echolocation to hunt down their prey. Insects make up most of their meals, and they catch them with either their teeth or with their tail membrane. A bat can eat half of its body weight in insects every single night!
Once hunting is over in the early morning hours, the Little Brown Bats return to their day roost, where they go into a state of torpor until the next night. Hibernation takes place over the colder winter months, and during that time they may wake up briefly every few weeks.
Because of their abundance, Little Brown Bats are frequently studied. Scientists use them to learn more about bat behavior, feeding, and echolocation. Unfortunately, they one of the species affected by Geomyces destructans, a disease that has been running rampant among bats since 2006.
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| Myotis lucifugus |
These Bats have separate roosting sites when hibernating and not hibernating, and these locations are chosen based on their size, temperature, and humidity. A night roost, for example, is typically a smaller, more enclosed space. This is so the small colony can remain warm.
Like most Bats, the Little Browns hunt around nightfall and use echolocation to hunt down their prey. Insects make up most of their meals, and they catch them with either their teeth or with their tail membrane. A bat can eat half of its body weight in insects every single night!
Once hunting is over in the early morning hours, the Little Brown Bats return to their day roost, where they go into a state of torpor until the next night. Hibernation takes place over the colder winter months, and during that time they may wake up briefly every few weeks.
Because of their abundance, Little Brown Bats are frequently studied. Scientists use them to learn more about bat behavior, feeding, and echolocation. Unfortunately, they one of the species affected by Geomyces destructans, a disease that has been running rampant among bats since 2006.
IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Wingspan up to 11in (27cm), Body Length up to 4in (10cm) long.
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Vespertilionidae -- Genus : Myotis -- Species : M. lucifugus
Family : Vespertilionidae -- Genus : Myotis -- Species : M. lucifugus
I had one as a pet! She was so sweet and cuddly.
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