10 species of bats found in Maryland
Bat species provide important ecosystem services to humans. A single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects per hour, and a pregnant or nursing mother bat can easily eat 4,000 insects per night.
published in the journal Science waves return, the bats can pinpoint found that bats provide more than the location of obstacles, water $ 3.7 billion of nontoxic pest control sources, and prey. This ability is benefits for the U. S. agriculture very effective when hunting evasive insect prey at night, and has sector each year.( And that’ s just the low estimate— the high estimate is as much as $ 53 billion!) among prey species. For example,
led to some fascinating adaptations
Despite what popular sayings some moth species have evolved like“ blind as a bat” may suggest, fuzzy wings that scatter soundwaves, which makes it harder for bats are not blind at all and use their eyesight to find food. About the bats to track their location. 70 percent of bats species have Other moths have evolved special sound-sensing membranes evolved the ability to echolocate: they emit high-frequency sounds, that can detect echolocation. If and the sound waves bounce back the moths sense a bat is hunting to their ears after hitting an object. nearby, they will respond by diving By detecting the minute differences in how quickly the sound ting noises to confuse the bat—
for cover flying in loops, or emit- all in the hope that they may avoid becoming a meal.
Bat populations are imperiled by habitat loss, climate change, roost disturbance, and diseases. One such disease is the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which causes white-nose syndrome. Infected bats often present with a fuzzy white growth on their noses, which gives the disease its name. Hibernating cave bats shelter in cool, dark, damp places— ideal conditions for the fungus to spread among the tightly packed colony. Infected bats tend to wake up when they would otherwise be hibernating, which causes them to burn through stored body fat faster and makes them less likely to survive the winter. The fungus is having a catastrophic effect on cave bat populations. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that
10 species of bats found in Maryland
Tree Bats
Eastern Red Bat( Lasiurus borealis) Hoary Bat( Lasiurus cinereus) Silver-Haired Bat( Lasionycteris noctivagans) Evening Bat( Nycticeius humeralis)
Cave Bats
Photo: Judy Gallagher
Clockwise from left: Eastern Red Bat, Silver-Haired Bat, Little Brown Bat.
Big Brown Bat( Eptesicus fuscus) Little Brown Bat( Myotis lucifugus) Northern Long-Eared Bat( Myotis septentrionalis) Indiana Bat( Myotis sodalis) Eastern Small-Footed Bat( Myotis leibii) Tricolored Bat( Perimyotis subflavus)
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