Bats

A pile of roosted Townsend's big-eared bats in Olympic National Park.

USGS Photo / Michael Hansen

 

Fun Facts

Did you know that bats make up nearly a fifth of all mammal species? They are the only mammals that can truly fly. They hold important ecological roles as predators of insects, pollinators of plants, and as food for other critters. They can live for 41 years!

 

A hoary bat being held by during a research project in Olympic National Park.

USGS Photo / Michael Hansen

Olympic National Park is home to ten species of bats:

• Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)
• Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
• Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
• Silver-haired bat (Lasiurus noctivagans)
• California myotis (Myotis californicus)
• Western long-eared bat (Myotis evotis)
• Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)
• Fringed bat (Myotis thysanodes)
• Long-legged bat (Myotis volans)
• Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)

Bats hibernate over the winter and begin to emerge in late February. During the summer, you might see them hunting insects at dusk over rivers or lakes in the park. By September, however, they are already returning to hibernation. It’s likely that because different parts of Olympic have very different climates, you might not find the same species of bats behaving in the same way throughout the park. However, there is much yet to learn about the ecology and lives of Olympic’s bats. The park is working with biologists at the U.S. Geological Survey to add to our understanding.

 

A biologist inspects the wing of a little brown bat for signs of white-nose syndrome.

USGS Photo / Michael Hansen

This knowledge is especially important because white-nose syndrome, a deadly bat disease introduced to North America, was found in Washington State in 2016. It is caused by a fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) which infects bats during hibernation. The fungus damages the wings and causes bats to become more active than usual. This fungus was detected in Olympic National Park for the first time in 2024. As a result, they burn up the fat that they need to survive the winter. It poses a serious threat to bats in Olympic.

Learn More About Current Research on Bats in the Pacific Northwest:

• USGS Bat Ecology
•  North American Bat Hub in the Pacific NW

Bats and Safety

The park’s bat species are active mainly at night. Occasionally, you may see a bat out in daylight. If you find these furry friends hanging out on the sides of trees or buildings during the day, respect their sleeping time. However, if you see a bat that is behaving strangely, is not afraid of humans, or is lying on the ground, it may be sick. Humans can get some of the diseases that make bats sick, including rabies, so it is important not to touch or handle bats.  

If you see a bat on the ground or acting sick, do not touch it and please report it to a park ranger right away. If you accidentally come into contact with a bat, report this to a park ranger and talk to your doctor—you may need medical treatment to prevent rabies. Report sick bats here.