Table of Contents
How did bats become endangered?
Today, bats are under unprecedented threat from widespread habitat destruction, accelerated climate change, invasive species, and other stresses. Without concerted international action, their populations will continue to fall, driving many species to extinction.
What are threats to the gray bat?
The main threat to the gray bat has been disturbance of caves that are used for hibernation and rearing young. Bats in nursing caves cannot withstand much disturbance. If disturbed, they can panic and drop or abandon their young (Harriman and Shefferly 2003).
What is being done to preserve the gray bat?
Habitat Protection A variety of government and private conservation agencies are all working to preserve gray bats and their caves.
How many gray bats are left in the US?
Gray bat populations were estimated at approximately 2 million bats around the time they were placed on the Endangered Species list. By the early 1980s populations of gray bats dropped to 1.6 million….
| Gray bat | |
|---|---|
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Myotis |
| Species: | M. grisescens |
Why is the gray bat important?
These bats also played an important role in the checks and balances of nature as the primary controllers of night-flying aquatic insects, including mosquitos. Single colonies consumed literally tons nightly. Without a doubt, Gray Bat colonies suffered some of the biggest losses of the Civil War.
How do gray bats communicate?
Bats use vocalizations to communicate with each other while they are in their roosts.
Why are gray bats so important?
Why do gray bats live in caves?
Most of the caves used by gray bats for hibernation have deep vertical passages with large rooms that function as cold air traps. Summer caves must be warm, between 57 and 77 degrees F, or have small rooms or domes that can trap the body heat of roosting bats.
Is there a GREY bat?
Appearance – Gray bats are distinguished from other bats by the unicolored fur on their back. In addition, following their molt in July or August, gray bats have dark gray fur which often bleaches to a chestnut brown or russet.