Bats

Bryce Canyon National Park is home to 14 species of bat including the Hoary bat, Big brown bat, and the others shown below. 70% of bats are insectivores, meaning they survive on a diet of insects and small bugs. Most other bats are frugivores, or fruit-eaters.

Let's play a quick game of True or False!

• Bats want to suck your blood. FALSE! (most of the time). In fact, out of about 1000 species of bats that live on this planet, only three feed exclusively on blood. These "vampire bats" can only be found in Central and South America.
• Bats are blind. FALSE! Bats can see just fine. In fact, some of the larger bat species have eyesight three times better than humans!
• All bats have rabies. FALSE! Less than 1% of bats are rabid. However, bats that act strangely or contact humans are more likely to carry the disease.

If you've had any contact with a bat, seek a physician's care immediately. Rabies is 100% preventable with proper medical care following an exposure.

 

Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)

The Hoary bat has a dense coat with white tips that give the bat is ‘hoary’ appearance. This bat weighs around .9 ounces and averages a wingspan of around 15.5 inches (39 cm). The male bats are generally double the size of female bats. These bats typically roost by themselves on trees in woodland forests, only flocking when migrating to Central America in late summer. The best time to see this bat is around dusk as it is hunting for insects and moths to eat.

Fun Facts: Scientists identified a species of Hoary Bat on the island of Hawai’i and it was named the state land mammal in 2015. Hoary Bats can travel up to 24 miles (39 km) each night as it hunts for food!

 

NPS Photo

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

The Big Brown Bat has long fur that is oily and ranges in color from light to dark brown, which contrasts with its black ears, muzzles, and wing membranes. These bats weigh between .5-.75 ounces and have a wingspan of 13 to 16 inches (33- 40 cm). These bats are commonly seen at dusk in the summer as they eat a variety of night-flying insects. Natural predators include snakes, owls, racoons, and human-caused threats such as pesticides and habitat alteration or loss.

Fun Fact: Big Brown Bats eat a wide variety of pest insects, which help with the ecological health of forests and crops!

 

NPS Photo

Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifungus)

The Little Brown Bat, or little brown myotis, varies in color from a cinnamon-brown to a medium brown. The fur on its back has a slightly metallic sheen to it and its ears and wings are a glossy dark brown. These bats weigh around .5 ounces and have a wingspan ranging from 9-11 inches (22-28 cm). Little brown Bats live in a variety of habitats ranging from forests, grasslands, and shrublands. These bats are commonly seen the first 2 to 3 hours after sunset as they hunt for insects such as midges, mosquitoes, moths, and small beetles. These bats, as well as many other species of bats, use echolocation to bounce sound waves off their surroundings to find their food.

Fun Facts: The little brown bat’s name comes from the Latin words “lux”, meaning light, and “fugio” meaning to flee- reflecting the bat’s nocturnal nature!

 

NPS Photo

Townsend's Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)

Townsend's big-eared bats are a medium-sized bat with very long ears (up to 38mm long!). Their fur is pale gray or brown above and buff colored on the underside. The face is marked by two large glandular lumps on either side of its nose. These bats are highly maneuverable flyers that are capable of flying at slow hovering speeds. Their large ears funnel sound into the ear canal but may also provide lift during flight and assist with temperature regulation.

Fun Fact: When roosting or hibernating, Townsend's big-eared bats will curl up their long ears making them look like rams horns!