Loss of habitat. Bats require suitable foraging habitat, roost sites, and hibernacula, which can be impacted by development, loss of forested habitat, and human activity. Cave-hibernating bats in New Hampshire have been decimated by WNS, and winter surveys of bat hibernacula have documented major population declines – nearly 99% for some species. This burns up their limited energy reserves, leading to possible starvation and death. The fungus causes bats to wake from hibernation more frequently. White-Nose Syndrome. First found in New Hampshire in 2009, White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is named for the white fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that appears on the muzzle and wings of affected bats while they are hibernating in the winter. Like all wild animals, not many make it to adulthood. The young are able to fly in about a month, but still depend on the safety of the roost as they learn to forage. Bats have very low reproductive rates, with females typically producing only one pup each June. During the summer, female bats often have their babies grouped together in a maternity colony.Three species migrate south - Eastern red bats, hoary bats, and silver-haired bats. Five species hibernate in caves and mines, called hibernacula, to survive – little and big brown bats, northern long-eared bats, eastern small-footed bats, and tricolored bats. In the winter, bats must deal with deep cold and a lack of insects for food. Little brown and big brown bats often utilize buildings – barns, attics and other outbuildings – for their roosts and maternity colonies. The remaining species roost in trees, and have different preferences for tree size, state of decay, part of tree used (under bark, in cavities, in clusters of leaves), tree density, and proximity to water. Eastern small-footed bats spend the summer in rock crevices. During summer evenings, bats forage for insects in the woods, over water (marshes, lakes and ponds), along forest-field edges, or in open areas - depending on the species. Habitatīats use a variety of habitats throughout the year. Bats can eat 50% of their own body weight every night - more if they are females with pups. New Hampshire is home to eight species of bats.īats eat insects - millions of them! This includes a large number of agricultural and forest pests, as well as pesky mosquitoes. Bats are long-lived for their size, with some bats living over 20 years in the wild. They are generally nocturnal, sleeping during the day and beginning to fly at dusk to forage for insects. Bats are the only mammals that truly fly.
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