Gray Bat Facts
Gray bats (Myotis grisescens) are some of the largest members of their scientific family---the mouse-eared bats. Highly gregarious creatures, they join together in large colonies for their winter hibernation. Gray bats play an important role in the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem. A single bat can eat hundreds of insects in one night (see Resources).
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Description
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Gray bats are about 4 inches in length and weigh only 0.2 to 0.3 ounces. The gray bat is the only one of the mouse-eared bats to have its wing membrane attached at the ankle rather than the toe. It is also distinguished as the only bat with uniform back hair color from top to bottom. Following a July or August molt, gray bats have dark gray fur, which then often lightens to a chestnut brown.
Habitat
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Unlike some other bats, which may inhabit hollow trees or buildings, gray bats live only in caves. Because they do not migrate to warmer areas for winter, gray bats require a cave with a temperature between 42 and 52 degrees for winter hibernation, according to the website "All About Bats." In summer, gray bats seek out a cave near a source of water, such as a river, stream, pond or reservoir, so they can find food.
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Range
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Gray bats seek out areas with limestone caves where they make their colonies; the caves are found mainly in the central and eastern U.S. Their range includes Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama, northern Arkansas and Tennessee. Lesser numbers can be found in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma and possibly North Carolina.
Reproduction and Young
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As female gray bats prepare to give birth in the summer, they congregate in a separate cave while the males gather nearby. The females give birth to single young in late May or early June. In late July, the males join the females in the maternity colony. Young bats make their first flight approximately one month after birth, according the the website "Animal Info."
Feeding Habits
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Like others of the Myotis species, gray bats roost during the day and hunt at night, mainly for insects. They alternate periods of foraging with periods of rest, as they hang in their cave and digest. Bat colonies have a home range during the summer, traveling miles if necessary from their cave to a feeding area. They may move among multiple caves during the summer.
Endangered Status
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The gray bat was included on the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in 1976. Because they live in large numbers in only a small number of caves, gray bats are very vulnerable to disturbance, especially when hibernating or caring for young. Gray bats are harmed by pesticides used in agriculture when their diet is poisoned by chemical runoff (see Resources). They have also endured habitat loss due to flooding and cave commercialization, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit cave II image by morsted from Fotolia.com
