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Scientific (Common) Names:
Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown),
Nycticeius humeralis (Evening)
Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown)
Biology:
Bats in MI are the second most numerous mammalian species known to man and are the
only mammals capable of true flight. They make up almost one quarter of ail
mammalian species in the world, Another way to look at this is that one out of
every five mammalian species belongs to bats. All bats have developed eyesight
and can see quite well. However, visibility in the dark is always a challenge so most
bats use echolocation (sound echoes that bounce off of objects) to find their prey
and navigate. Echolocation is only effective for very short distances (several meters
from the bat) and contributes to the erratic flight of these mammals. Bats are the
most misunderstood mammal in existence today and only through continual study of these creatures
will we ever realize their true potential.
All bats in Michigan share three interesting physiological processes: daily torpor, hibernation, and delayed
fertilization. Torpor is the process of lowering the body temperature to that of the surrounding
area. This is most common during cold or rainy nights. The purpose of torpor is to conserve energy
until their food source is available again. Hibernation is similar to daily torpor except the bat
lowers its body temperature for an extended period of tune. Bats commonly hibernate from October
through April during which time they Jive off of body fat accumulated for the winter. Delayed
fertilization allows female bats that have copulated to store sperm in their uterus until leaving
hibernation. This way precious energy (i.e. body fat) is not wasted during the hibernation process.
Michigan has a total of 9 different species of bats, yet only three species tend to frequently inhabit man made
structures in high numbers. These species are the Little Brown bat, the Evening bat, and the
Big Brown bat. Both the Little Brown and Evening bats are migratory animals that commonly
cover distances in excess of 200 miles during migration. Big Brown bats tend to hibernate inside of
structures rather than caves like the Little Brown and Evening bats, making them more likely to be
found inside of homes during colder months. All three species will form small to large maternity
colonies for bearing and raising their young. Pups are generally born in the last weeks of May
through early July and are fully capable of flight within a three to four week period of birth. It is at
this time that most human / bat conflicts occur.
There are several diseases that bats can transfer to humans with the most common being rabies and
histopiasmosis. Rabies is a viral disease that effects the central nervous system usually resulting in
death. Histopiasmosis is generally a respiratory' disease although it has been know to attack other
organs such as the eyes.
Bats have very few "natural" predators with hawks and owls being on the top of the list taking the
occasional bat. Other predators include cats, raccoons, fox, and coyote, which mainly prey on the
sick, young, or injured. While more studies need to be done, it has been determined that a bats lifespan
is directly related to the type of species it belongs to. As a whole, bats tend to have a life-span
of 15 plus years with the oldest ever recorded living to be 33 years old. Due to their longevity, the
best solution for a bat problem is to modify the structure and make it unusable.
Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown),
Nycticeius humeralis (Evening)
Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown)
Biology:
Bats in MI are the second most numerous mammalian species known to man and are the
only mammals capable of true flight. They make up almost one quarter of ail
mammalian species in the world, Another way to look at this is that one out of
every five mammalian species belongs to bats. All bats have developed eyesight
and can see quite well. However, visibility in the dark is always a challenge so most
bats use echolocation (sound echoes that bounce off of objects) to find their prey
and navigate. Echolocation is only effective for very short distances (several meters
from the bat) and contributes to the erratic flight of these mammals. Bats are the
most misunderstood mammal in existence today and only through continual study of these creatures
will we ever realize their true potential.
All bats in Michigan share three interesting physiological processes: daily torpor, hibernation, and delayed
fertilization. Torpor is the process of lowering the body temperature to that of the surrounding
area. This is most common during cold or rainy nights. The purpose of torpor is to conserve energy
until their food source is available again. Hibernation is similar to daily torpor except the bat
lowers its body temperature for an extended period of tune. Bats commonly hibernate from October
through April during which time they Jive off of body fat accumulated for the winter. Delayed
fertilization allows female bats that have copulated to store sperm in their uterus until leaving
hibernation. This way precious energy (i.e. body fat) is not wasted during the hibernation process.
Michigan has a total of 9 different species of bats, yet only three species tend to frequently inhabit man made
structures in high numbers. These species are the Little Brown bat, the Evening bat, and the
Big Brown bat. Both the Little Brown and Evening bats are migratory animals that commonly
cover distances in excess of 200 miles during migration. Big Brown bats tend to hibernate inside of
structures rather than caves like the Little Brown and Evening bats, making them more likely to be
found inside of homes during colder months. All three species will form small to large maternity
colonies for bearing and raising their young. Pups are generally born in the last weeks of May
through early July and are fully capable of flight within a three to four week period of birth. It is at
this time that most human / bat conflicts occur.
There are several diseases that bats can transfer to humans with the most common being rabies and
histopiasmosis. Rabies is a viral disease that effects the central nervous system usually resulting in
death. Histopiasmosis is generally a respiratory' disease although it has been know to attack other
organs such as the eyes.
Bats have very few "natural" predators with hawks and owls being on the top of the list taking the
occasional bat. Other predators include cats, raccoons, fox, and coyote, which mainly prey on the
sick, young, or injured. While more studies need to be done, it has been determined that a bats lifespan
is directly related to the type of species it belongs to. As a whole, bats tend to have a life-span
of 15 plus years with the oldest ever recorded living to be 33 years old. Due to their longevity, the
best solution for a bat problem is to modify the structure and make it unusable.
General Bat Biology
"I would like to recommend Jason's approach to addressing bat problems. He did a wonderful job ridding our house of a bat colony that had apparently been there for some length of time. His professionalism and expertise made the situation easily dealt with, and completed as quickly as possible. Thanks, Jason, for doing such a great job for us!"
Heather
Edmore, MI
Heather
Edmore, MI
Call Toll Free 1-888-722-8776
