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Little Brown Bats are as they are named, little, brown and a bat. They are about 3 – 5 inches in size. And weigh between one-sixteenth and one half an ounce. To put that into perspective, it would be like holding 4 pennies. Their wingspan is the largest part of their bodies reaching up to 9 – 11 inches. Though these critters are small in size their impact is larger than we may know!
Little Brown Bats are spread across Canada and North America. They tend to prefer forest areas that are near a water source. But there are some that live in dry climates. The ones that do will stay hydrated by drinking moisture from cave walls or any condensation that builds on their fur.
They sleep during the day, in what we call roosts (“home”). Roosts can be in a tree, on a building, in a cave, pretty much anything that provides some sort of protection so they can rest safely. A bat’s roost will often change due to what they need throughout the year.
While all of us are in our beds resting, these nocturnal bats are on one mission, eating lots and lots of insects. Every night they work towards eating up to 1,000 insects such as mosquitoes, moths, beetles and more. Their large diet will help them create a fat reserve to get through the winter months.
This love for insects also helps control the insect population from being overbearing. They are a natural pesticide so to say, fighting for farmer’s crops and allowing us to enjoy the outdoors. Our daily lives are more enjoyable thanks to bats!
During the winter months, bat’s will move their roosts into caves to help protect their bodies as they go into hibernation. This is a survival technique where they will slow down their metabolic rate and lower their body temperature. Their heart rate is about 200 beats per minute but when they are in hibernation their heart rate goes down to 20 beats per minute! During this time they will rely on their fat reserves to carry them into spring months.
Sounds are very important for these bats. They can fly up to 20 miles per hour while creating high-frequency sounds to avoid collisions and to help locate their prey. Their high-frequency sounds are hard for the human ear to hear completely, yet sound like inaudible fast chirps. Check out what a Little Brown Bat sounds like when the audio is slowed down to 1/10th it’s regular speed:
Little Brown Bats can live from 5 – 10 years but unfortunately many have a much shorter lifespan due to a fungus called White-nose syndrome. And it’s not only affecting Little Brown Bats but over 30 other bat species across America.
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease. It gets its name from the white fungi growths that build upon bats’ noses/mouth and wings. This specific strain of fungus loves the cold. So during hibernation months bats’ will slow their metabolic rate and lower their body temperature creating the perfect feeding ground for this deadly fungus.
This disease does not affect humans, due to our natural higher body temperatures but we are one of the causes of it spreading. That is why often caving tours will have people walk through a cleaning station to kill any of the fungi. Other bats can also catch it easily by coming in contact with an affected bat, or even by a cool damp surface that it might grow on.
Groups like the Bat Conservation International are working to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. And they need our help! By purchasing a Malinda Rene ‘Little Brown Bat’ print, you’ll be helping their cause and be spreading awareness. Click here to find more ways you can help!
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