Bat Week was last month, but this site has great tips on what you can do for bats. We can all play a part in learning about and helping native wildlife and ecosystems. In addition, please do not touch or disturb any bats during their wintry rest. You can help this winter by reporting any bat observations to your local wildlife agency (wdfw.wa.gov/bats). There is even more urgency now to figure out more about bat winter roosting ecology so biologists can better protect these important animals. Unfortunately, in 2016 WNS was discovered in Washington and since then has spread to six counties in the state (wdfw.wa.gov/bats). It is estimated that more than 6 million bats have died since first being discovered in eastern North America in 2006. This disease is caused by a fungus and does not affect humans or other animals, but can be deadly to bats. It’s important for biologists to understand how bats spend their winters because there is a bat disease called white-nose syndrome (WNS) that is affecting bats during hibernation. It’s believed the bats can go into torpor (a shortened form of hibernation) in inclement weather to conserve energy, but in periods of good weather, enough insects are available to sustain these populations through the winter.īat in hibernation with white-nose syndrome. As with other migratory species, understanding the bats’ seasonal movements and wintering habits are essential for conservation efforts. It’s possible that hoary bats are evolved to hibernate, but would freeze if they did so in their northern summer territories. The California myotis ( Myotis californicus) and silver-haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivagans) are two of the bat species that have been found in the winter months in these areas. Hoary bats roost outside in trees as opposed to inside caves, Weller said. For example, we are learning some species that live in coastal and lowland Puget Sound areas in the Pacific Northwest are active year-round. Some species remain active regardless of the season. Luckily, many researchers are working with the wind energy industry to find ways to eliminate or reduce the number of deaths of these migratory bats.įlying long distances to get through the winter isn’t for every bat. ![]() of their hibernacula (caves and mines where bats hibernate during the winter). Across the country, hoary bats have been found dead at wind energy facilities. It is home to 32 of the 47 species of bats found in the United States. Not much is known on the migratory behavior of these bats such as where they end up spending their winters, but we do know that their migration path crosses into areas where wind energy is being developed. In the Pacific Northwest, the hoary bat ( Lasiurus cinereus) is known for its long-distance travels in one study this species was found to fly more than 1,000 km during its migration. Some bat species will migrate long distances in the fall to warmer climates where insects are more plentiful. Sometimes these bats are only active within the house and other times they. ![]() Photo by Daniel Neal/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. These bats are active in the dead of winter when theyre supposed to be hibernating.
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