Bat watch By Susan Campbell

Going Batty

Flying fr ien ds of th e night

By susA n CA M PBel l Fall is not only migration time for a large percentage of the bird species found across our state, it’s also when another group of fancy fliers are winging their way southward: bats!

A lthough we are rarely aware of it, each evening indiv idua ls or sma ll g roups of these lit tle creat ures leave their day time roosts and, af ter a shor t per iod forag ing, move out, headed to war mer — and hence bugg ier — sur roundings for the cooler months. For indiv idua ls of cer tain hardier species, such as red, big brow n, hoar y and evening bats, centra l Nor th Carolina may be their w inter home.

Bats represent one- quar ter of a ll mamma l species worldw ide. Like us, they g ive bir th to live young. Bats are relatively long-lived mamma ls and can sur v ive 20 to 30 years in the w ild. Of the 17 bat species that occur in Nor th Carolina, three are listed as federa lly endangered, and one is listed as federa lly threatened. Bats are pr imar ily noct ur na l, though they a lso forage in the early evening and early mor ning hours. A lthough most bats have relatively good eyesight, they pr imar ily use echolocation to nav igate and locate prey. T heir maneuverabilit y is phenomena l — bats can avoid objects as sma ll as a str ing in tota l dark ness.

Bats mate in the spr ing or fa ll and usua lly produce one pup per year. Many species for m mater nit y colonies in the summer to raise their young, while others are solitar y roosters. Some bat species mig rate south for the w inter, and others find loca l hiber nation areas, ca lled hiber nacula. Bats prefer caves or mines for hiber nacula, though they have a lso been k now n to use buildings and br idges, and they usua lly ret ur n to the same site ever y year. By educating the pub lic, monitor ing populations and protecting bat habitat, the Nor th Carolina Wildlife R esources Commission (NCW RC) is work ing to sustain bat populations in our state.

Bats are integ ra l to ecosystems worldw ide. Tropica l bats disperse large amounts of seed and pollen, enabling plant reproduction and forest reg row th, and are especia lly impor tant in the pollination of cocoa, mango and the agave plant, which is used to produce tequila. Nor th A mer ican bats have a major impact on controlling insect populations that are considered ag r icult ura l pests. T hey save the cor n industr y over $1 billion annua lly in pest control. A nursing fema le bat may consume a lmost her entire body weight in insects in one night. R ecently a protein found in vampire bat sa liva has been used to develop clot-busting medication to aid stroke v ictims.

Many bat populations in the United States have declined in recent years. Pesticides, persecution, and human dist urbance of hiber nacula and mater nit y colonies may have contr ibuted to this decline. Fur ther more, an emergent f unga l disease ca lled white-nose sy ndrome ( W NS) has k illed more than 5.7 million bats since its discover y in New York in 20 06. T his disease spread to Nor th Carolina in 2011 and continues to spread to new states each w inter. It is now found in 30 states.

To deter mine bat distr ibution and hiber nation sites in Nor th Carolina, track the spread of W NS and estimate population trends for cer tain species, our state biolog ists conduct intensive monitoring across the state. T hrough a var iet y of methods (including mist net ting, trapping, banding, acoustic recording, roost monitor ing and radio telemetr y), NCW RC biolog ists, in cooperation w ith severa l par tners, have sur veyed and banded thousands of bats in Nor th Carolina. A ll of this work helps to infor m management and, in t ur n, conser vation pr ior ities.

T here are severa l things you can do for bats on your proper t y. A n ever more popular endeavor is insta lling a bat box or t wo. A lso plant native plants that at tract insects that bats (as well as the birds) eat. It is ver y impor tant to limit the use of insecticides and herbicides whenever possible.

A lso avoid dist urbing bat hiber nation areas and mater nit y colonies. A nd you might want to consider joining a conser vation organization to remain updated on bat conser vation ef for ts such as Bat Conser vation Inter nationa l (w w w.batcon.org).

L ast, but not least, educate others regarding the impor tance of bats and why they are so beneficia l. PS Susan Campbell would love to hear from you. Feel free to send questions or wildlife observations to susan@ncaves.com.