Hoary Bat
By Ryann Hoffman , Assistant Naturalist
in the moonlit forests of Indiana , a secret society thrives . They ’ re not caped crusaders , but they do have wings . Ladies and gentlemen , meet the bats — Indiana ’ s misunderstood , yet utterly fascinating , creatures .
Bats , often misidentified as flying rodents , are actually flying mammals ! They are part of a special classification group called Chiroptera , which translates to hand wing . If you take a closer look at a batwing : it resembles hands , with thin skin-like membranes stretched between their fingers . The thumb even sports a sharp claw for gripping surfaces . The skin-like membrane between the bones is a lot like the skin on your eyelid . Imagine your eyelids , but with wings . Go ahead , touch your eye — I won ’ t judge !
Bats are very secretive creatures that hunt for prey at night and are most of the time not seen by humans . So , where do they live ? Bats like a spot that is going to be weather resistant and allow them to raise their young . Some examples of these spots would be attics , caves , barns , abandoned mines , and inside the bark of specific trees . The two trees that bats will take shelter in are the Shagbark Hickory and Sycamore trees . These trees are loved by many species of bat due to their strips of bark that peel off the tree . This allows the bats to roost under the peeled strips and get super cozy .
There are thirteen bat species documented in the state of Indiana . All bats in Indiana are insectivores , meaning they primarily feed on insects and it ’ s no secret that bats are most active during the nighttime . How do they see the tiny little bugs at night ? Aren ’ t bats blind ? This is another misconception , their eyesight is about the same as ours , just smaller . They use a special adaptation called echolocation to see better at night . Their ability to use sonar
( echolocation ) for navigation and prey capture is remarkable . Much like a submarine scanning the ocean floor , bats use the same technique to find their favorite treat ! Bats release a super high frequency screech that reflects back to them when they reach an insect or bug . This allows them to find these tiny creatures in the dark of night .
Bats play a crucial role in pest control . A single bat can consume its body weight in insects each night . If a Big Mac weighs a half pound , how many would we have to eat each night to make this true for us ? Many of the insects they eat are harmful pests in agriculture and forests . The economic impact of insect-eating bats in North America is estimated to exceed $ 3.7 billion per year .
So , what do we think ? Bats are pretty cool , right ? They are the only flying mammals , no planes or skydiving required . They use sonar to find their prey at night and they eat a ton of annoying bugs ! So , the next time you visit our parks , come out right as the sun is setting and you just might see one of these amazing creatures .
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