![]() ![]() Bats with WNS often exhibit unusual behavior such as flying during daylight hours or gathering outside of caves in cold weather. Infected bats prematurely awaken from hibernation, rapidly deplete their fat reserves, and are unable to survive the winter. WNS primarily affects bats during hibernation. ![]() In 2014, white-nose syndrome (WNS), a deadly disease affecting North American bats, was confirmed in Michigan. Though there are many places throughout Michigan where bats may hibernate (such as caves or mines), some Michigan bats will migrate to warmer areas in order to find a suitable place to hibernate. Hibernation is an adaptation for survival during the winter months, when there are no insects available for bats to eat. In Pennsylvania, bats begin migrating to hibernacula as early as September. Some underground mines and abandoned transportation tunnels also provide suitable habitat for bat hibernation. When feeding under normal conditions they can capture 600 to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects per hour.īats are most often found in forested habitat near water, which are insect rich areas. Those that do stay, hibernate in caves, mines and tunnels. Michigan bats feed on a variety of moths, flies, beetles and other insects. Superbly adapted to flying at night, bats can navigate in total darkness, avoiding the thinnest of wire obstacles in their path with ease. The bats then use the echoes to determine the object’s distance, size and shape. Even though most of the bat species will hibernate as opposed to migrate, whenever it becomes necessary, bats will choose migration. They emit pulses of high-frequency sound (20-130 kHz) that bounce off nearby objects. The majority of bats species will migrate to find better hibernating conditions, in contrast to birds that generally migrate so that they can exploit seasonal food resources. Our current research suggests that bat populations in Colorado are doing quite well. A surprising number of species (five) have been detected at high elevation sites above 11,000 feet. The wing of a bat, which is totally different in structure from that of birds or insects, is formed from skin stretched over long, thin fingers that encompass the hind legs and often the tail.īats use echolocation to find and capture prey. For example, the little brown bats in our state seem to hibernate differently than those on the east coast, and we are constantly learning about their whereabouts, habitats and behaviors. ![]() They are the only mammals capable of sustained flight. The bat is one of nature’s most fascinating and misunderstood creatures. ![]()
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