Species of the Month- Little Brown Bat

This week at Nature Minute we start a new segment, Species of the Month. To gear up for Halloween this month we celebrate the little brown bat, one of the most frequently encountered wild animals. Facts are courtesy of University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web.

Scientific name: Myotis lucifugus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Range: Southern Alaska to southern US, Mexican highlands

Habitat: Day roosts- buildings, trees, under rocks, wood piles; night roosts- large spaces that can accommodate many bats; hibernaculum roosts: caves or mines that remain above freezing all winter

Lifespan: 6-7 years

Diet: Insects- midges, beetles, caddisflies, moths, mayflies, lacewings, mosquitoes

Predators: Cats, mice, owls, fishers, martens, raccoons, hawks, owls, weasels, snakes

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: Like other insectivorous bats, the little brown bat uses echolocation to find its prey. The bat’s wing is the same bones as the human hand, with a flap of skin stretched over the elongated fingers. A fungal disease known as white nose syndrome is threatening many species of bats all across the US and Canada. It is believed to have been accidentally transported from Europe as spores hitchhiking on a caver’s clothing. National Bat Week is October 24-31.

Little brown bat in flight

Little brown bat in flight

Little brown bat taking a break on front porch