FACTS ABOUT BATS
Scientific name: Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis lucifugus, Perimyotis subflavus, Myotis leibii
Class: Mammalia
Family: Vespertilionidae
Order: Chiroptera
Life span:
- Large brown bat: Up to 19 years, but on average 10 years.
- Small brown bat: 8 to 10 years on average. Some individuals even surrendered at the age of 31.
- Eastern Pipistrelle: 15 years for males. 10 years for females.
- Eastern Pygmy Bat: between 6 and 7 years.
Reproduction
Quebec boasts a wide variety of bats, including eight distinct species. Among these may be creatures that lurk closer than you think – the ones most likely to inhabit our homes are:
- Large Brown Bat
- Little brown bat
- Eastern Pipistrelle
- Eastern Pygmy Bat.
During the fall, bats begin their mating season in preparation for a summer of babies! Litters can range from one to two pups per year and typically arrive between May and August.
Diet
Bats are the aerial acrobats of the night skies, snatching up their insect prey with a daring mid-air hunt.
- Butterflies
- Hannetons
- Beetles
- Ephemeral
Habitat
Bats are mysterious creatures that can be spotted in even the most unlikely places. From wooded areas by water bodies to city streets and urban crevices, they love dark secret hideaways where they can rest undisturbed. Even our own homes have been known to provide refuge for these fascinating nocturnal mammals.
FACTS ABOUT BATS : QUESTIONS
Why do bats sleep upside down?
Bats hang in height to protect themselves from predators, using their two hind legs as a secure grip – providing them with an easy escape when needed by propelling off for the sky.
Why do bats sleep during the day?
Bats fly freely at night, showing off their nocturnal superiority. While birds and day raptors are fast asleep in the darkness of evening hours, these marvelous mammals take to the sky uncontested – safe from predators who hunt during daylight hours.
Are bats blind?
Bats are astonishingly gifted in navigating the dark. Armed with a highly developed sense of vision, they rely on echolocation to hunt and traverse unknown areas; by sending sound waves which reflect off any obstructions along their path, then capturing its echo to identify what lies ahead. Truly remarkable.
Do bats hibernate?
In the winter, nature’s creatures have their own methods of survival. Some hibernate in order to make it through the cold months while others choose to migrate further south until spring returns. From birds soaring across the sky, down to monarch butterflies gracefully fluttering by – all on a mission for warmth and comfort.
Do bats drink blood?
Many species have adapted to a unique way of life – haematophagy. Found mainly in tropical areas ranging from Mexico and Chile all the way down to Argentina, these creatures subsist on nothing but blood as their sole source of sustenance.