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Indiana Bat FactsScientific name: Myotis sodalis Information gathered from the UM's Animal Diversity Web. Help a Bat - Build A Bat BoxBats that rely on trees to roost in the summer - or to live in all year round - lose more and more habitats every year. This spring help these bats with your own two hands by building a bat box. |
As a federally endangered species since 1967, it goes without saying that the recent sudden deaths of Indiana Bats across the eastern United States have been the cause of much concern for conservationists and scientists alike. Called the white-nose syndrome, this disease has put the risk to the Indiana Bat at an all-time high.
To the Bat Cave! Indiana Bats and their Habitats
Indiana bats were first found in the Wyandotte Caves of southern Indiana, hence the name. However, it is their scientific name - Myotis sodalis - that describes these bats perfectly. Myotis means "mouse ears" which refers to the tiny, mouse-like ears that all bats in this genus share. The species name - sodalis - means "companion" in Latin, and refers to their highly social nature.
Indiana bats are also known as the social bat and for good reason. During hibernation, Indiana bats will cluster together in large groups in their hibernacula - caves in which bats hibernate. Huddling close together allows the bats to keep warm and muffles sound to limit any disturbances. Bat clusters are also used as an early warning system against predators. Those that are outside of the mass can easily, and quickly, alert the other bats that danger is near.
Indiana bats are not only found in caves nor do they only exist in the Hoosier state. Indiana bats can be found in most of eastern United States, though the largest populations are found in Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri. After hibernation, Indiana bats migrate to summer roosts, which are generally the edges of hardwood forests. Females tend to stay together, making homes with their pups under the loose bark of trees. There are some questions as to why males roost singly or in small groups and not with the females.
There are even more questions to the unprecedented die-offs of thousands of Indiana bats in northeastern United States. Scientists have found evidence of a fungal disease - called white-nose syndrome - which may or may not be symptomatic of an even graver disease.
Unprecedented Mass Die-offs & White-Nose Syndrome
Tens of thousands of hibernating bats died this past winter in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut, but no one knows why. These unprecedented die-offs have scientists mystified and in a hurry to figure out how to save this already endangered specie. Scientists believe that white-nose syndrome (WNS) is to blame, but not all agree as to whether it is the sole reason that these bats are dying or an opportunistic infection.
The disorder is dubbed white-nose syndrome due to the white fungus found on the muzzles of some affected bats. Scientists have noted other recurring symptoms such as dehydration and emaciation, causing bats to rouse out of hibernation early and look for food and water. There are also a few other indicators as to whether or not a cave houses WNS-infected bats: bats flying out of the cave during hibernation months or in temperatures below freezing; bats clustering near the entrance of a hibernacula; and if there are dead bats present on ground or near trees and buildings.
According to the Fish & Wildlife Services, wildlife managers are concerned about the outbreak spreading out to other states. If WNS is caused by an infectious agent, then the bat's hibernating behavior will increase the potential of the disease spreading among hibernating bats. In turn, those hibernating bats may spread the disease to areas where they migrate during the summer. Thus working to determine the cause of these deaths has been a top priority to biologists, researchers and bat conservationists around the country.
Indiana bats aren't the only bats that have been dying in the hands of this poorly understood disease. In fact, most bats infected with WNS are little brown bats. Other affected bat species include the eastern pipistrelle, the northern long-eared bat and the small-footed bat. The Indiana bat is of great concern because it is already at such a high risk of extinction. Until more is known about white-nose syndrome, its impact on the Indiana bat's recovery is unknown.
Interesting Facts about Bats
- The Indiana Bat is the only animal named for our great state.
- Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
- "Blind as a bat?" Not for these little guys. Bats have excellent eyesight perfect for long-distance homing.
- Bats also use echolocation to find their way around. By emitting calls then listening to the echoes of those calls, they can determine where various objects are located in the dark.
- Indiana bats tend to return to the same hibernacula every year. About 238,000 Indiana bats, approximately 46 percent of the total population, winter in Indiana caves.
- Hibernacula must be draft-free and maintain a stable temperature of under 50° F but above freezing for hibernation.
- Bats hibernate as a way of survival as there are no insects for them to eat during the winter months.
- Indiana bats are beneficial! Bats consume billions of insects every year and at no cost to the agriculture industry who could use the help. They are also great pollinators and spreaders of seeds.
For More Information
United State's Fish & Wildlife Services information on Indiana Bats and White-Nose Syndrome
A short video about white-nose syndrome by the FWS
TNC - Indiana Field Office's article on the Indiana Bat by Allen Purcell
Bats of Indiana - Department of Natural Resources brochure
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © TNC (Indiana Bat); Photo © Al Hicks / New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (Indiana bat infected with White-Nose Syndrome).
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