Size:
On average, little brown bats weigh less than half an ounce and have a wingspan of 8 to 11 inches. Females are typically larger than males.
Diet:
To locate their prey, most insect-eating bats use a system called echolocation. This super sense is similar to sonar used in ships. The bat emits a high frequency sound that bounces off of objects in their environment. They can then determine the location and size of prey by listening to the sound echo that returns to them. Little brown bats are nocturnal and hunt most actively a few hours after dusk. They must eat half their body weight in insects per night to prevent malnourishment. New mothers sometimes eat more than their own body weight in a single night!
Typical Lifespan:
Individuals usually live to six or seven years, although one 31 year old little brown bat was found in the wild. Such a long lifespan is highly unusual for small mammals.
Habitat:
Little brown bats are not territorial—they live in colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands of individuals! Colonies aggregate at nesting sites called roosts. There are several different types of roosts that serve different purposes—day and night roosts provide habitat for bats when they are sleeping or resting. Hibernacula are a type of roost that is occupied in the winter months. Little brown bats choose buildings, caves, trees, rocks, and wood piles as roost sites. They may migrate hundreds of miles to get from their summer habitats to hibernacula.
Range:
The little brown bat is found in abundance throughout the northern U.S. into Canada. It is present in lesser numbers in southern states and is absent from the southern Great Plains. Little brown bats also live in high elevation forests in Mexico.
Life History and Reproduction:
The mating season usually starts in August and pups are born approximately two months later. Once the young are born, they are dependent on their mother for food and warmth. At about one month of age, they can fly and catch insects on their own. Each mother has one pup per year and can identify her offspring based on scent and calls. A variety of wild mammals, birds, and snakes will incorporate these bats into their diets, because the large colony sizes make them easy to catch. Domestic cats are a major predator of bats that roost near people.
On average, little brown bats weigh less than half an ounce and have a wingspan of 8 to 11 inches. Females are typically larger than males.
Diet:
To locate their prey, most insect-eating bats use a system called echolocation. This super sense is similar to sonar used in ships. The bat emits a high frequency sound that bounces off of objects in their environment. They can then determine the location and size of prey by listening to the sound echo that returns to them. Little brown bats are nocturnal and hunt most actively a few hours after dusk. They must eat half their body weight in insects per night to prevent malnourishment. New mothers sometimes eat more than their own body weight in a single night!
Typical Lifespan:
Individuals usually live to six or seven years, although one 31 year old little brown bat was found in the wild. Such a long lifespan is highly unusual for small mammals.
Habitat:
Little brown bats are not territorial—they live in colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands of individuals! Colonies aggregate at nesting sites called roosts. There are several different types of roosts that serve different purposes—day and night roosts provide habitat for bats when they are sleeping or resting. Hibernacula are a type of roost that is occupied in the winter months. Little brown bats choose buildings, caves, trees, rocks, and wood piles as roost sites. They may migrate hundreds of miles to get from their summer habitats to hibernacula.
Range:
The little brown bat is found in abundance throughout the northern U.S. into Canada. It is present in lesser numbers in southern states and is absent from the southern Great Plains. Little brown bats also live in high elevation forests in Mexico.
Life History and Reproduction:
The mating season usually starts in August and pups are born approximately two months later. Once the young are born, they are dependent on their mother for food and warmth. At about one month of age, they can fly and catch insects on their own. Each mother has one pup per year and can identify her offspring based on scent and calls. A variety of wild mammals, birds, and snakes will incorporate these bats into their diets, because the large colony sizes make them easy to catch. Domestic cats are a major predator of bats that roost near people.