B ats are misunderstood creatures.
Repulsive to many and feared by others,
these amazing, beneficial animals have
an undeserved bad reputation. They are the
only mammal that can truly fly (flying squirrels
glide, not fly), and most bat species are insect-
and tail. This thin membrane enables them to
quickly and precisely maneuver during flight.
The place where a bat sleeps is called its roost.
Some bats roost in ones and twos, but many
sleep in large groups. They typically hang upside
down and can tilt their heads so far back, they
eating machines, performing incredible aerial can look behind them.
acrobatics as they chase and devour 20-50% of Bats are nocturnal, feeding at night and sleep-
their weight in insects each night. ing during the day. Contrary to the saying "blind
Bats are mammals; they are warm-blooded, as a bat," many bats see very well. However,
have fur or hair, give birth to babies, and nurse because they hunt mostly at night, it's their keen
the babies with milk. Bats do not build nests, hearing they rely on to accurately navigate in
but often form nursery roosts with many females the dark. Using echolocation, these bats send out
giving birth in the same area. Unlike southern a series of rapid (up to 200 per second) pulses
sites, New York caves and mines are too cold of sound too high for people to hear. When the
for raising young. Baby bats (pups) are hairless sound bounces off an object, an echo returns
when born and weigh up to 30% of their mother's which bats instantly analyze, enabling them to
weight. Newborns have well-developed feet and identify the location, size and shape of the object.
are soon able to hang securely from their perch Depending on the species, bats eat a variety
when the mother is gone. Only the mother cares of things. However, 70% of bats worldwide, and
for the young. all of New York's bats, consume flying insects.
The young are born in June to early July and Other bat species eat fruit, nectar, small mam-
grow quickly, with many flying and hunting mals, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and blood. Preda-
within a month. Bats breed primarily in the tors include owls, raccoons, snakes and domestic
fall; the females store sperm in their bodies and cats.
fertilize the egg the following spring. Each fall, as temperatures drop and insect
Although often described as "flying mice," bats numbers decline, bats respond by either hiber-
are not rodents and are more closely related to nating or migrating. Come spring, generally
primates and people. In fact, bats' wings are around mid April, they begin to return from
similar to the human hand, having a thumb and their wintering sites.
four fingers. Bats' fingers can be as long as their Bats are extremely long-lived compared to
body and provide support for the thin leath- mammals of similar size. The oldest ever docu -
ery wing membrane that extends to the ankle mented was found in a New York mine where it
had been banded 34 years earlier. New York is
home to nine bat species, three are tree bats, the
other six are cave bats .
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Cave Bats
All six species of New York's cave bats spend the bridges, buildings, rock crevices, beneath loose coloring. Indianas are more greyish and Pipistrelles
winter hibernating in caves and mines where they bark, or in cracks or crevices in trees. Cave can be nearly reddish yellow.
live off stored fat reserves. However, during the bats are identified by the lack of fur on their tail
summer they live in a variety of places, including membranes and their rather plain brownish
Northern Bat Little Brown Bat Indiana Bat
Al Hicks
Al Hicks
Al Hicks
Myotis septentrionalis Myotis lucifugus Myotis sodalis
This bat is commonly seen across the The most common bat in the state, little Indianas are an endangered species. They are
northeast during the summer. It forms small browns are the species most often encoun- vulnerable because they occur in large concentra-
maternity colonies in the crevices of trees. Its tered by people. They frequently occupy tions in few places. Roosting in clusters of 300-400
large ears and high frequency call enable it buildings during the summer, but also live per square foot, half of the Indianas in the north-
to pick its way through dense forest clutter in crevices and under loose bark in trees. east winter in just one N.Y. mine. Summer maternity
that other bats avoid. During winter, these Nearly 200,000 have been found wintering colonies, ranging in size from a dozen to several
bats sometimes hang from the cave’s ceiling in one New York mine. A northern species, hundred animals, generally occur in crevices of
or along a wall with other bat species, but this is probably the bat you see flying low damaged trees or under the loose bark of living or
most are squeezed tightly into cracks and over the water on a summer evening. dead trees. Indianas forage primarily along forest
crevices in the rocks. Wingspan– 8-9”; Body length– 2” edges, and close to the tree tops.
Wingspan– 9”; Body length– 2” Wingspan– 10”; Body length– 2”
Note: The pink noses of the Indianas in this photo
distinguish them from the dark face of the little brown.
Eastern Pipistrelle Big Brown Bat Small-footed Bat
Al Hicks
Al Hicks
Al Hicks
Perimyotis subflavus Eptesicus fuscus Myotis leibii
The eastern pipistrelle is widely distributed The largest of New York’s cave bats, the big N.Y.’s smallest bat, the small-footed weighs less
within New York hibernacula (wintering sites), brown weighs two to three times more than than a nickel. Its small size, jet black “raccoon”
but almost always in low numbers. Pipistrelles other cave bats and has a wingspan of nearly face mask and wings, long glossy fur, and
prefer warmer, moister portions of caves, and 13”. Most tolerant of cold temperatures and tiny feet (hence, the name), distinguish it from
rarely cluster; typically hanging singly from the low humidity, it often winters near the entrance other bat species. It could easily be called
ceiling or along a wall. It is one of the state’s of caves and mines, and is the state’s only bat the rock bat as during the summer it often
smallest bats and can be identified from other species to regularly winter in buildings. One roosts and raises its young in accumulations
cave bats by its reddish forearms and slightly of two bat species that often raises its young in of rocks, cliff faces, road cuts and concrete
yellowish-orange fur. In summer, pipistrelles buildings as well as trees, it is one of our most bridges with good sun exposure. It is the least
inhabit open woods near water, rock crevices, common summer bats. When using buildings, frequently encountered bat in the eastern U.S
and buildings, often forming small colonies it generally limits nursery colonies to dozens, during winter surveys, and more than half the
in clumps of dead leaves hanging from tree not hundreds, of individuals. Identified by its individuals counted reside in just two mines in
branches. They can be seen chasing insects at large size, dark ears and face, and glossy, the Adirondack region.
tree top level early in the evening. light to dark brown fur, the big brown emerges Wingspan– 9”; Body length– less than 2”
Wingspan– 9”; Body length– less than 2" early in the evening to forage high among the
Note: While bats are fascinating to watch, a few
tree tops.
individuals can be vectors for some diseases, including
Wingspan– 13”; Body length– 3”
rabies. And while only 0.5% of bats carry rabies, to be
safe, people should avoid handling them. For more
Written by Eileen Stegemann and Al Hicks information, contact your local health department.
Tree Bats
As the name suggests, tree bats live year round Because tree bats do not typically enter caves one young per year, hoarys and silver-haired bats
in trees. They are more colorful than the generally or mines or form large colonies, these species are typically have two; reds as many as three or four.
brown cave bats, and reds and hoarys have distinct harder to study. It is known that reds and hoarys roost All three species fly south in winter to where warmer
dark and tan wing membranes. Tree bats have fully alone from branches, hiding among leaves, and temperatures make finding a meal more reliable.
furred tail membranes which they can curl up around silver-haireds form small colonies and use crevices
their bodies like a blanket. and hollows in trees. While most cave bats have
Red Bat Hoary Bat Silver-haired Bat
© Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International, [Link]
© Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International, [Link]
© Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International, [Link]
Lasiurus borealis Lasiurus cinereus Lasyionicterius noctivagans
Although common in warmer southern states, the The largest of New York’s bats, hoarys weigh Once described as the most common bat in the
red bat is less abundant in New York. In the late two to seven times more than other New York Adirondacks, the silver-haired bat is perhaps the
1800s, red bats were reported migrating in sub- bats and have a wingspan that measures up least frequently encountered bat species in the
stantial flocks during the daytime. Today, daytime to 16 inches. More of a northern species, and Northeast during the summer season. It prefers
encounters rarely exceed more than a few individ- nowhere common in the state, they are most more northern habitats, roosting under loose bark
uals. Female red bats are noticeably grayer than abundant in the Adirondacks. Hoary bats roost or in tree cavities. This bat is one of the first to feed
the reddish-orange males. Reds typically roost low high in trees and typically forage far above in the evening, sometimes starting before sunset.
in the trees among dense foliage. They feed early the treetops. As the name implies, it has silvery-tipped hairs
in the evening. Wingspan– 16”; Body length– 3½” on its nearly black body.
Wingspan– 12”; Body length– 2-2 ¼” Wingspan– 11”; Body length– 2-2 ¹/³”
Note: photo shows female red with pups