An Introduction

to Bats
 What do YOU know
about bats????
• Creepy, blind, blood-
sucking RODENTS of the
night…
• Bats are flying rats
• Bats will attack you for
no reason
• Bats will fly into your
hair
• Bats are blind
 Nobody
Actually….. likes
•Those are all just me….
BAT MYTHS
•Bats won’t fly into your
hair or attack you
•They aren’t blind at all
•And they aren’t even
rodents……
 So, What are bats?
• Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Eutheria
Superorder:Laurasiatheria
Order: Chiroptera
(hand-wing)
Suborder Megachiroptera- flying foxes
• 1 Family, ~166 species

Suborder Microchiroptera- micro bats

• 16 Families, ~759 species

Of 4200 mammal species, ~1000 are bats!

 Bats are the only mammals capable of TRUE powered flight.
Bats actually fly with their hands, not their arms!

Illustration from BCI Educator’s Activity Book

 Bat Facts
• Long lived (some up to 30 years)
• Possibly due to reduced metabolic activity during
torpor (40% of the year in some species).
• Low fecundity
• Temperate zone bats are monestrous and usually
have 1 young/yr
• Exceptions are the red bat (twins and triplets are
common) and the southeastern myotis (twins are
common)
• Long period of infant dependency
• 2 month gestation and 1 month of infant
dependency
• High survivorship
• 50-80% chance of surviving each year once
adulthood is reached (Findley 1993).
• Common predators of bats are owls, snakes,
hawks and feral cats
 What do Bats Eat?
• FRUIT- “frugivory”
• FLOWERS- nectar or pollen
• CARNIVORES- birds, reptiles,
amphibians
• FISH- highly specialized carnivores
• BLOOD- “sangrivory”
• INSECTS- aerial or foliage gleaners
Why Are Bats Important?
• Bats are important
pollinators of many
plant species
including the agave
plant (ie. Tequila),
the saguaro cactus
and many rainforest
plant species;
• Bats are vital for the
control of insect
populations;
 Feeding
• Although some bats in the tropics feed on
fish, fruit, nectar, or even blood, bats of
Canada feed on insects, usually caught in
flight.
• Bats eat a variety of insects, including
moths, beetles, mayflies, caddis flies,
midges, black flies and mosquitoes.
• Insectivorous, or insect-eating, species of
bats typically consume 50 to over 100
percent of their body weight in insects each
night in summer.
• This is the same as a 60-kg person eating 30
to 60 kg of food in one day.
 Bat Food Web
• Plants are producers because they
get their energy from the sun;
• A primary consumer eats producers;
• Bats are considered secondary
consumers because they eat insects
that eat plants;
• They could also be considered
tertiary consumers because they eat
the bugs that eat the bugs that eat
the plants.
•
What is Echo-location?
• Bats use ECHOLOCATION for
navigation and prey capture:

Animation from www.batcon.org.

More About Echo-location
• 1700’s: Lazarro Spallanzani first
proposed bats could “see” with their
ears
• 1930’s: Donald R. Griffin of Harvard
coined term “echo-location”
• Not all bats echolocate- just Microbats
• Most echolocation calls are between 9
to 200+ kHz
• Humans can only hear up to 20 kHz
• Bat detectors allow us to hear bat calls
and identify them.
 Ok, Bats are beneficial,
but what about RABIES???
• Bats ARE carriers of rabies
• Rabies caused by a bullet-shaped virus of the
genus Lyssavirus. It causes a very serious viral
infection of the Central Nervous System
• Rabies can only be transmitted through saliva or
spinal fluid, not blood or urine
• If you are exposed, you will need post-exposure
vaccinations ASAP (series of 5 itty-bitty shots in
the arm)
• FYI- Raccoons pose the most serious risk of rabies.
Surprisingly, otters are also a risk
 Rabies Prevention

• DON’T HANDLE WILD MAMMALS,

including bats!!!!!!

• Keep your pets vaccinated

• If you think you have been exposed,

seek medical attention promptly
 Histoplasmosis
• It is a respiratory disease that is most often
associated with bird droppings, but bat and
rodent droppings also pose a risk -
especially in hot, humid climates;
• Histoplasmosis is caused by a ground
fungus Histoplasma capsulatum;
• It causes flu-like symptoms which, in rare
cases, can be quite serious;
• Severity of disease is related to dosage of
exposure (number of spores inhaled);
• Keep your home and outbuildings free of
fecal material.
 Where are the bats?
•
 Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
• One of the most
common bats in urban
areas and bat houses
• Often roost in
buildings- prefers
snags in natural habitat
• Often return to
maternity roost where
they were born
• Forage in a variety of
habitats
Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org
 Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
• Solitary, tree-roosting
bat
• Hangs by one foot
• Will also hibernate in
leaf litter on forest floor
• Used to form large
daytime migratory
flocks in 1800’s
• 2-5 young (usually 3)
Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org
 Hoary Bat
Lasiurus cinereus
• Solitary, roost among foliage on
forest edges
• Can fly 24 miles in one night
while foraging
• Territorial over foraging sites
• Often migrate with bird flocks
• One of the most widespread
bats in N. America
• Hawaii’s only native land
mammal

Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org

 Eastern Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus subflavus
• Common in forest
edges and near
agricultural areas
• One of first bats to
emerge in evening
• Forage high in
canopy
• Will hibernate in
caves and in culverts
Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org
 Northen Yellow Bat
Lasiurus intermedius
• Roosts year-round
in Spanish moss
and palm fronds
• Abundant on the
coast
• Will forage over
sand dunes and
beaches
• Typically have 3
pups
Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org
Hot Topics in Bat Research
• Phylogeny and evolution
• Functional morphology
• Echolocation
• Conservation Biology
• North American Bat
Conservation Partnership
(NABCP) Strategic Plan
Threats to Bat Populations
• Habitat destruction/fragmentation
• Loss of historical roost sites
• Disturbance of roost sites, esp. caves
• Disease
• Ignorance:
– General public: negative attitudes
– Scientific: Very little is known about the
distribution, numbers and specific
requirements of most bat species
 General Practices that
Benefit Bats
• Protection of known or potential roosts,
including: snags, hollow trees,
abandoned buildings, caves, bridges, etc.
• Creating artificial roosts
• Maintaining water quality
• Wise use of insecticides
• Keep cats indoors!
• Leave known bat populations undisturbed
 Common Methods For
Studying Bat Populations
• Population Surveys: Counts
– Direct Roost Counts
– Nightly Dispersal Counts
– Maternity Roost Counts
– Ultrasonic Bat Detectors
• Population Surveys: Captures
– Mist Nets
– Harp Traps
– Trip Lines (over water sources)
 Basic Habitat
Requirements for Bats
• ROOST SITES:
– Including maternity, bachelor and
hibernation roosts
– Caves, hollow trees, stumps, live trees,
abandoned buildings, bridges,
culverts, etc.
• FORAGING HABITAT:
– Waterways, roads, pipelines, forests,
edges, clearings, beaches, etc.
• WATER SOURCES:
– Lakes, rivers, streams, bays, stock
tanks, swimming pools, etc.
 Bat House Design
Bat houses should have
the following specs:
– AT LEAST 2 ft. tall and 14
in. wide- bigger is better!
– Have a 3-6 inch landing
strip covered with plastic
hardware cloth below
entrances
– Inner partitions (1-4+)
should be ½ to 1 in. apart
and covered with plastic
hardware cloth or
roughened manually
– Ventilation slot 6 in. from
bottom of house
Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org
Bat House Construction
and Wood Treatment
• Use plywood, cedar or a combination
• Exterior of house: Apply 3 coats of
dark or medium colored exterior
grade, water-based paint or stain
• Interior of house: Apply two coats
black, exterior grade, water-based
stain
• Caulk all seams
 Bat House Placement
• Full all day sun is
best- minimum is
6 hours of sun
exposure a day
• Place near water
if possible
• Mount house on
a pole 15-20 ft.
high
• Make sure
entrance is
unobstructed
Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org Photo From BCI: www.batcon.org