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About Bats
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Although often miss-classified
as rodents, bats are a unique order of winged mammals, often
nocturnal and generally insectivores.
Many use echolocation as a method for hunting, but
contrary to popular belief, they are not blind. Bats have
eyes and can see, just not very well. Flying insects are
more abundant at night, when light is scarce, so bats have
evolved the ability to create high-pitched sounds, which
bounce off of objects and return to the bat's highly
sensitive ears. This natural radar gives them the ability to
detect and interpret the size, shape and direction of
objects.
Bats for Pest Control
Although many people consider bats to be
pests themselves, they actually play an important role in
the control of insects, particularly mosquitoes. A single
bat can devour as many as 1,000 insects in one night, and a
family of bats can noticeably help control insect
populations for a whole neighborhood. Many landowners erect
Bat Boxes in their yards. Bat boxes are usually
simple wooden structures that are tempting homes for many
bat species. A bat box on one's property can cut down on
nighttime insects as well as sway bats from roosting inside
the house. Bat boxes are inexpensive and
environmentally-friendly pest management devices.
Bats in New York
New York is
home to at least 9 species of bat, none of which are
vampire, or blood-feeding bats. One should use caution
around a bat, as any of them can carry
parasites or rabies. When handled or harassed most bats will
attempt to bite, so it is recommended to avoid them.
Bats in Your Home
Don't panic. If there is any chance that
the bat has bitten someone in the house, including pets, it
should be captured and given to the local animal control
center for rabies testing. If there is no chance that the bat was
in contact with people or pets, then the goal is to help it
escape safely.
Help the bat escape
- Remove children and pets from the
house.
- Turn off the TV or anything that
makes noise and remain silent and calm.
- Open windows and doors.
- Stay out of the bat's way and to not
try to hit it or push it out of your house.
Catching a bat
- Call animal control. Do not attempt
to catch a bat yourself, unless necessary. Bats tend to
carry diseases and should be handled with caution.
- Wear protective gloves when handling.
- Bats are small, so a fishing net
probably won't work. A butterfly next is a good option.
Tennis rackets may harm or kill the bat.
- A damp towel can be thrown onto a
resting bat. Scoop up the towel while carefully
enclosing the bat in it.
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Bat Repellant / Control Products / Bat Boxes
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Bat Books
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Bats of New York State -
Identification Guide
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Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus

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license information |
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Identifying characteristics:
A light or medium-brown furry bat, with a broad nose,
fleshy lips and small, thick black ears. The ears, face and
wings are devoid of hair and are black. The fang-like teeth
are strong and capable of causing injury.
Size: Average body length of 4.5 inches. Wingspan of
13 inches. Females are slightly larger than males.
Habitat: Heavily forested regions, cities, towns,
rural areas with ample secluded structures for roosting and
stable structures for hibernation. Barns and attics
are often utilized. They roost during the day in hollow
trees, within
the bark of trees, or in man-made structures.
Food: Carnivorous; insectivorous. Primarily flying insects.
They hunt around
tree canopies at night. Usually 2-5 hours after sunset.
Their tail
and wing membranes are used to capture flying prey.
Vocalization: Short, high-pitched clicks or chirps.
Audio1;
Audio2
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 2.
Other Info.: Nocturnal; hibernates. Uses
echolocation for navigation and hunting, but they are not
blind. |
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Distribution

Common in many areas of the state.
Status:
None
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Eastern
Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus subflavus

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AKA:
Butterfly bat; Tri-colored bat
Identifying characteristics: A small bat with
yellowish-brown fur and black wings, black face and small round
ears. Each individual hair of its fur is tri-colored, dark
at the base, yellowish brown in the middle and dark at the
tip. They are easily identified by their reddish forearms.
Size: Average body length of 3-3.5 inches. Wingspan of
9 inches. Females are slightly larger than males.
Habitat: Open woodland near water; open fields. They
tend to avoid deep woods. Often found flying and hunting over
water. They roost in caves, rock crevices, trees and
buildings. In winter they hibernate in more stable, deeper
caves.
Food: Carnivorous; insectivorous. Primarily flying insects.
They hunt near the shore and above water at night.
Their tail and wing membranes are
used to capture flying prey.
Vocalization: A multi-harmonic series of high-pitched
noises.
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 2.
Other Info.: Nocturnal. Hibernates. Uses
echolocation for navigation and hunting, but they are not
blind. They get
their nickname, the Butterfly Bat, because of their moth-like flight
pattern. |
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Distribution

Common in many areas of the state.
Status:
None
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Eastern
Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis

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Identifying characteristics:
A medium-sized bat with dense reddish (or reddish-brown)
fur. The fur is more prominent across the back and face
compared to other bats. Males tend to have more red hair,
while females have frosted-tipped chestnut-colored hair.
Size: Average body length of 4 inches. Wingspan of
12 inches.
Habitat: Forested areas sparsely or not inhabited by
humans. They spend their days roosting in the foliage of trees,
hanging by one foot, often looking like a dead leaf or pine
cone. They rarely live in man-made structures. Their dense
fur makes them well-suited for colder temperatures.
Food: Carnivorous, insectivorous. Primarily flying insects
such as moths. Beginning at dusk, they hunt in open
locations
using a light source, such as the setting sun, to help
locate prey. They catch their prey mid-flight.
Vocalization: Short, high-pitched chirps, sounding like
a bird.
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 2.
Other Info.: Nocturnal. Like other bats, they
use echolocation for navigation and hunting, but they are not
blind. Is
well-adapted for cold temperatures, but may migrate south
for the winter. Their camouflage helps them deter
predation from birds and opossums. |
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Distribution

Common in many areas of the state.
Status:
None
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Eastern Small-Footed Bat
Myotis leibii

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Identifying characteristics:
A small-sized bat with medium-brown fur on its back and
lighter, puffier fur on its belly. The fur is often
described as having a glossy golden sheen to it. The
ears are pointed. The face, ears and wings are black. As the
name implies, their feet are relatively small for a bat.
Size: The smallest bat in Eastern North America, with
an average body length of 2.8 inches. Wingspan of
8.5 inches.
Habitat: Mountainous regions of deciduous or
coniferous forest. They can be found roosting in buildings,
tunnels, or within rock crevices. They hibernate in caves and
tunnels. The Small-footed bat may roost with hundreds of others.
Food: Carnivorous. Insectivorous. Primarily flying insects
such as moths and flies. They can be seen hunting over land
or water, and they seem to prefer hunting along the forest edge.
Vocalization: not available.
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 1.
Other Info.: Nocturnal. Hibernates. Uses
echolocation for navigation and hunting, but they are not
blind. They are some of the rarest bats in North America. |
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Distribution

Found throughout the state.
Status:
Special Concern in NY State
due to dwindling habitat.
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Hoary Bat
Lasiurus cinereus

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information |
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Identifying characteristics:
A relatively large bat that is easy to identify by its
frosty fur that extends to the elbows of its wings. The face
and the outlines of its small, rounded ears are black, as
are
the bottom portions of the wings that are not covered in
fur. Other areas of skin are pinkish-grey. There is a
characteristic ring of dark brown fur around the neck and a patch
of yellow cream fur on the throat and around the ears. The eyes
are beady. 4 Mammary glands are present on females.
Size: Average body length of 5.5 inches. Wingspan of
16.5 inches. The largest bat species in NY State.
Habitat: Found mostly in Wooded areas, roosting in a variety of tree
types, usually close to open areas. Rarely in human
structures. Migrates rather than hibernates, often joining
up with
large groups for migration in the fall.
Food: Carnivorous; insectivorous. Primarily flying insects
with a preference for large moths. They start hunting in early
evening to take advantage of the light. Feeding may continue
throughout the night.
Vocalization: Hissing and high-pitched chirps.
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 1-4, often
2.
Other Info.: Nocturnal. The Hoary bat migrates south for the
winter. They use
echolocation for navigation and hunting, but they are not
blind. Hoary bats are usually solitary, except when breeding
or migrating. They are strong flyers. |
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Distribution

Found throughout the state.
Status:
The most widely distributed bat in North America.
Found in almost every state. Hawaii's
only native mammal.
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Indiana Bat
Myotis sodalis

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Identifying characteristics:
This tiny bat has very fine, fluffy grey or brownish-grey
hair on its back and lighter, pinkish fur on its belly. The
ears are medium sized and black to match its wings. The nose
is pink (although sometimes grey). It does not have black skin on the
face, which gives brown bats the masked appearance. The
feet often have hair, but it does not extend past the toes.
Size: Average body length of 2 inches. Wingspan of
10 inches.
Habitat: Wooded or semi-wooded areas near water.
Warm weather roosting may happen in dead trees, in hollowed
out sections, or under bark. Hibernation is in limestone
caves containing pools. Migration to hibernation sites is common,
with mating beginning upon arrival. They are usually found
roosting in tightly packed
clusters.
Food: Carnivorous; insectivorous. Primarily flying insects. Prefers to hunt
along shorelines.
Vocalization: High pitched squeaks.
Video1,
Video2
Reproduction: Litter size is 1.
Other Info.: Nocturnal. They migrate to suitable
caves for the winter. Indiana bats use
echolocation for navigation and hunting, but they are not
blind. |
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Distribution

Found throughout the state.
Status:
Federally
Endangered due to majority of
animals hibernating in relatively few cave sites;
commercialization of cave sites; vandalism.
Special note: Disturbing hibernating
Indiana Bats may result in them not surviving the winter.
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Little Brown Bat
Myotis lucifugus

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information |
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Identifying characteristics:
A small bat (slightly larger than the Indiana bat) with
glossy brown fur on its back and lighter-colored fur on its
belly. The ears are elongated, but relatively small. The
face, ears and wings are black. The feet are large and have
hair that extends past the toes. The eyes are tiny.
Size: Average body length of 3.5 inches. Wingspan of
10 inches. Females are slightly larger than males.
Habitat: Roosting locations include buildings,
trees, rocks, rocky cliffs, woodpiles. They prefer dark and
cool locations for day roosting. Forested lands near bodies
of water are preferred. Hibernation occurs in deep caves or
mines.
Food: Carnivorous; insectivorous. Flying insects, preferably with an
aquatic larval stage. They hunt near tree canopies or over
water. Unlike many other bats, these bats are capable of
catching insects directly with their mouth, rather than with
their wings, which they use for larger prey.
Vocalization: Short, high-pitched squeaks.
Audio1
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 1.
Considered one of the most promiscuous species of mammal.
Other Info.: Nocturnal. Hibernates. Uses
FM echolocation for hunting, but they are not blind. Predators
include domestic cats, martens and fishers. |
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Distribution

Found throughout the state.
Status:
None
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Northern Long-eared Bat
Myotis septentrionalis

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information |
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Identifying characteristics:
This small bat has dull yellowish brown fur and long black
rounded ears. The fur on their underside tends to be pale
grey. Often the lips are pink.
Size: Average body length of 3 inches. Wingspan of
9.5 inches. Females are slightly larger than males.
Habitat: Heavily forested areas, where they feed and
roost, but will often be found roosting in small groups in
buildings and caves.
Food: Carnivorous; insectivorous. Generally stationary
moths and other insects. They use a foraging strategy called gleaning, in
which they use echolocation (and their long ears) to
navigate within the dense vegetation of wooded areas. They
pluck stationary moths from surfaces, but can also capture
flying prey. They emerge shortly after sunset to hunt.
Vocalization: Short, high-pitched squeaks.
Reproduction: Litter size is usually 1.
Other Info.: Nocturnal, hibernates. Uses
FM echolocation for hunting, but they are not blind. |
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Distribution

Found throughout the state.
Status:
None
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