Friday, December 4, 2015

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

Photo by Roger Barbour (http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/big_brown_bat.htm)


Big Brown Bats are common throughout the Southern Canada, temperate North America, and even South and Central America. These bats prefer forested regions, and are exceptionally tolerant of lower temperatures. This allows them to hibernate in less substantial structures such as barns or churches, while some bats require shelter in highly insulated environments during hibernation. 
Eptesicus fuscus is an insectivorous bat, primarily feeding on beetles, moths, flies, and wasps (just to name a few). While scientists cannot pinpoint a specific number, it is estimated that Big Brown bats are capable of consuming about 1.4 grams to 2.7 grams per hour. 
Big Brown Bats are currently at risk of contracting the deadly fungus,Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), also known as White-Nose Syndrome. This fungus thrives in cold environments where bats tend to hibernate, and is responsible for over 5.7 million bat deaths since 2012. 

Sources: 
Mulheisen M, Berry K, Myers P. 2000.  “Eptesicus fuscus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. 

No comments:

Post a Comment