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Bats of Indiana

Bats are fascinating creatures. They are the only mammal capable of true flight, and they use sonar (echolocation) to navigate through their environment and capture prey. All bats that occur in Indiana are insectivores, meaning they eat insects. A bat feeding on beetles, mosquitoes and moths can eat half of its body weight each night, an attribute that makes them extremely beneficial to humans. Many insects eaten by bats are harmful agricultural and forest pests. It is estimated that the economic impact to the agricultural industry due to the loss of insect-eating bats in North America could exceed $3.7 billion per year.

Thirteen bat species have been documented in Indiana. Six species primarily use underground sites such as caves, mines, or tunnels to hibernate in winter. They use caves, trees and/or other structures for summer roosts. Four species are found in Indiana either during the summer reproductive season or spring and fall migration. The remaining three species are exceedingly rare in Indiana; the few records for these species are from caves during winter hibernation.

CAVE BATS

CAVE BATS
Common NameConservation Status in IndianaPrimary Summer Roost SitesPrimary Winter Roost Sites
Big brown batNoneTrees/StructuresCaves/Mines/Structures
Gray batState EndangeredCaves/MinesCaves/Mines
Indiana batState EndangeredTreesCaves/Mines
Little brown batState EndangeredTrees/StructuresCaves/Mines
Northern long-eared batState EndangeredTreesCaves/Mines
Tri-colored bat (pipistrelle)State EndangeredTreesCaves/Mines

MIGRATORY TREE BATS

MIGRATORY TREE BATS
Common NameConservation Status In IndianaFound in Trees During
Eastern red batSpecial ConcernSummer
Evening batState EndangeredSummer
Hoary batSpecial ConcernSummer
Silver-haired batSpecial ConcernSpring/Fall migration

RARE BATS

RARE BATS
Common NameConservation Status In IndianaHistory
Eastern small-footed batSpecial ConcernFirst recorded in 2009
Rafinesque’s big-eared batSpecial ConcernLast recorded in 1962
Southeastern batSpecial ConcernLast recorded in 1977

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