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THE INDIANA BAT

THE INDIANA BAT. Indiana Research By: Koryn Greiwe. PHYSICAL FEATURES. One of the smallest bats in the United States, lives for 5 to 9 years Fully grown adult bat 2 1/2 inches in length Bat’s wingspan, (wings from tip to tip) measures 9 to 11 inches looks bigger when flying .

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THE INDIANA BAT

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  1. THE INDIANA BAT Indiana Research By: Koryn Greiwe

  2. PHYSICAL FEATURES • One of the smallest bats in the United States, lives for 5 to 9 years • Fully grown adult bat 21/2 inches in length • Bat’s wingspan, (wings from tip to tip) measures 9 to 11 inches • looks bigger when flying • Very light in weight, ¼ of an ounce • About the weight of three pennies • Easy to tell apart from other small bats • Body has thin, but fluffy fur that is grayish-brown • Some black on its upper parts, pink underneath • Pink nose, small back feet, short hair • Ears like a mouse

  3. FOOD SOURCE • A mammal, a carnivore, insectivore • Eats flying insects, has sharp teeth • Mayflies, gypsy moths, mosquitoes, beetles • All of these harm forests • Indiana bat is an important part of its ecosystem • Each night, one bat can eat up to 3000 insects, • a colony 100,000 • Helps control number of night flying insects • Better than using poison insecticides • Bats are the only mammals that can fly, how they find food • Locates prey using echolocation • Bat makes a sound which bounces off the flying insects • Sound returns to the bats ears helping it locate prey

  4. HABITAT • Most of the year it lives in other states in Midwest and Northeast • Lives in forests, floodplains, crop fields, and grasslands of other • states in region like Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Missouri, Wisconsin • Migrates to Indiana during cold winter months • That’s why bat got its name • Hibernates in Indiana’s Caves • Caves have necessary conditions bat needs to survive winter • Low enough temperature, but not too cold,won’t freeze to death

  5. BEHAVIORS • Migrates to different environments based on time of year • During the spring, summer, early fall live in colonies in areas • where they can easily feed on flying insects • Live near trees and water, feed at night since nocturnal • Wait until night to feed, less likely to be eaten by predators • like snakes, raccoons, skunks, hawks, and owls. • Stores enough food for body fat to help it survive the winter • During winter migrates to Indiana caves to hibernate • Travel in colonies, some hundreds of miles to reach Indiana • Every year, around September, return to exactly the same caves • Each colony joins other colonies to form tight groups in caves

  6. Hang from their feet from the ceiling of the cave • Bats wake every 8 to 10 days, for an hour • to look for food near caves entrance • Swarm at the entrance to the caves and mate • The females store the sperm from mating in their bodies during the • winter, fertilize their eggs after they are done hibernating • Each female has one baby bat, called a pup • They are born in the summer and drink milk from their mothers • for about 31 days, the time it takes it to fly • The pup joins the colony like of Indiana bats

  7. NOT SO “COOL”, ENDANGERED SPECIES • Indiana bat is special because it is rare • 1967 put on the endangered species list • Today only about half as many bats aswhen it was put on list • Facing extinction for many reasons • People do not leave their habitats alone • Cut down dead trees near cave and water openings • Trees need to be left, a food source • People pollute the waters • Use poisons to kill flying insects • Cut down forests for development

  8. The bats need to hibernate in Indiana caves without waking up • People mining, exploring, and touring caves wake the bats • People knock down the sleeping bat colonies • People shoot them • White-nose syndrome started killing the bats in 2006 • Scientists believe this is a fungus on the walls of cave that may be • spread by people • In 2008, abandoned mines and caves closed to people to help • stop spread of the disease. • Bars have been placed on caves to keep people out. • Laws have passed to help the Indiana Bat have place to live, food to eat

  9. REFERENCES Research Information Books The Bat Scientists, Mary Kay Carson, 2010, 22, 23, 41-48, 50-51,68 A Guide to Caves and Karst of Indiana, Samuel S. Frushour, 2012, Websites www.in.gov -DNR: Indiana Bats -State of Indiana www.fs.fed.us/r9/wildlife/tes/indianabat.htm www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/mammals/inba Pictures www.angelfire.com www.arkive.org - Indiana bat videos, photos and facts www. beyondpesticides.org www.fs.fed.us www.fs.usda.gov www.indianadnr.wordpress.com www.nj.gov BATS! www.whyfiles.org

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