Mammals · Chiroptera · Vespertilionidae

Indiana Bat

Myotis sodalis

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Indiana bat is a species of the eastern United States with a very demanding annual cycle: it hibernates in only a handful of caves and mines of very stable temperature, where it packs together at densities of up to three hundred animals per square metre, and in summer the females breed under the loose bark of dead trees in riverside woodland. That double dependence makes it extraordinarily vulnerable, and white-nose syndrome has decimated its hibernating colonies.

Weight

5 g – 11 g

Size

4 cm – 5 cm

Lifespan

14 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Temperate forestFreshwaterInsectivore Nocturnal Colonial Near Threatened Temperate forest Freshwater Mammal

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Fun facts

More than half the world population hibernates in a handful of caves: a change in temperature or human disturbance at a single site can affect an enormous fraction of the species.
The white-nose syndrome fungus, which arrived accidentally from Europe in 2006, has killed millions of North American bats by repeatedly waking them during hibernation, exhausting their fat reserves before spring.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Caves and mines for hibernation; in summer, riverside woodland with loose-barked trees
Sexual maturity: 11.7 months
Gestation / incubation: 2 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myotis_sodalis