Bats: Warm-blooded mammals

BY SUZIE BARNES

The state of Ohio has 11 species of bats! Worldwide there are 1,399 species, 45 of which are found in the United States. Bats are mammals, just like us. What’s a mammal? Well, mammals have hair, are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, and drink milk from their mothers. Some snakes give birth to live young also, but they’re definitely not mammals. 

The most common bat in Ohio is the little brown bat (myotic lucifugus). These are small to medium-sized bats with brown or gray fur. They have a wingspan of 9-11 inches, and they can eat their weight in insects nightly! Bats are Mother Nature’s best form of pest control.

Bats mate in the fall before hibernation. The females store the sperm over winter until they decide to become pregnant in the spring. They give birth upside down! They generally only give birth to one pup. The females stay together in maternity colonies, while the males stay in much smaller groups. The females gestate at six to nine weeks. Pups are born from late May to early July. They are weaned and can fly at four to six weeks. 

Bats roost in caves, attics and barns. They stay high up because they can’t take off from the ground. They must be six feet off the ground to get enough air to fly. They’re also great climbers and can climb trees to catch air.

Bats use echolocation to hunt their prey. Echolocation is when bats emit high-frequency sound waves that bounce off objects and return to their ears. They can also do a feeding buzz that gives a more precise location of prey.

So, what should you do if you run across a bat? If it’s in the wild, absolutely nothing! If you find them dead in the wild, contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). If a bat happens to get into your house, there are wildlife services that can remove them. Bats are protected due to their declining numbers and killing them is illegal. Many populations are declining due to white-nose syndrome. It’s a fungus that gets in their wings and muzzle and is deadly to them.