[TN-Bird] FW: Bats
- From: "Henry, Travis H." <thhenry@xxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 10:24:18 -0500
I have enjoyed the recent questions about bats. It is not uncommon to
see red bats venturing out during the colder months. While they do
migrate, much like birds, red bats can linger in colder climates for
some time. They roost in trees, among the leaves, and can handle
fluctuating cooler temperatures better than more colonial species of
bats that hibernate in caves with more stable, albeit cool temperatures.
When we get a period of "warm" weather this species will wake from their
torpor (pseudo-hibernation) and replenish water reserves and capture
insects, if any are available. If food isn't available, they will go
back into torpor and wait for the next warm period. Ultimately they may
migrate further south to take advantage of more suitable temperatures.
In terms of the visitor in the house, I don't think it is time to get
the house examined for bats yet. Eastern pipistrelles often linger in
the area like red bats, you tend to see these little guys roosting in
your porch or garage for a couple of days in the fall and then they are
gone. They also migrate through the area and occasionally seek refuge
on man-made structures, although they primarily roost in trees among the
leaves. Any "warm" weather will spur these guys into activity as well,
if they are in the area.
If you have observed one of our larger bats in your house, it is
probably a big brown. They disperse from their roosts (in attics,
expansion joints of bridges, hollow trees, shutters on your house, etc.)
in late fall. They tend to over-winter in cooler portions of caves to
conserved energy. When they hibernate, they can allow their bodies
temperatures to descend to 32-35 degrees! You could have had a
transient big brown in your attic, behind a fireplace, or in your attic
vents and he inadvertently ended up in your house. Then again, you
could have had bats in your attic all along, but I think you would have
noticed that before now. But big browns don't tend to stay in the same
attic year-round, so you probably were visited by a transient.
BUT, as with all animals, when you think you have them figured out, they
will always surprise you. That goes double for bats:)
Now for birds, I had a sharpie buzz through the feeders yesterday, quite
a show.
Hill Henry
Knoxville, TN
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