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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


California Nature: Bats


Bats are mammals. They account for more than 25 percent of all the mammals on the earth! Bats are the only mammals that can fly. There are good reasons to appreciate bats in California. Twenty-four of the more than 900 species of bats occur in California. In California, bats occur at elevations ranging from below sea level to almost 11,000 feet. Our smallest bat is the western pipstrelle, with an average wingspread of 7.5 to 8.5 inches, and an average body length of 1.5 to two inches. Contrast that with measurements of our largest species, the western mastiff bat which has a wingspan of more than 21 inches and average body length of four to five inches.

One of the wonderful things that most bats do is eat insects!  By eating their body weight in insects each night, bats are the most important controller of night-flying insects, including many crop pests.  Some bats eat fruit, nectar and seeds from plants. When the bats spit out the seeds or leave them in their droppings, they help new plants to grow. They also pollinate many kinds of plants, including vanilla beans, peaches, bananas and avocados.
hoary bats are found throughout central California and eat insects Hoary Bats can't be easily confused with any other bat in California. The most beautiful of California's bats is the hoary bat. Their fur is a mixed brown-gray color with heavy white fringe, giving them a frosted appearance. Hoary bats may be found at any location in California, although distribution is patchy in southeastern deserts.

This common, solitary species winters along the coast and in southern California, breeding inland and north of the winter range. During migration, may be found at locations far from the normal range, such as the Channel Islands  Hoary bats spend the summer days hidden in the foliage of trees. Much like the red bat, they choose a leafy site open beneath them, and usually 10-15 feet above the ground. Because hoary bats are solitary roosting bats and keep themselves well hidden, this species is usually never encountered by humans.

The Little Brown Bat is a small mammal with a body length of 3 - 31/2 inches and weighing approximately 1/8 to 1/2 an ounce. The wingspan of little brown bats range from 6 - 8 inches. As their name suggests little brown bats are glossy brown above with a light buff color below.
Little Brown Bats bats can live 20 to 30 years. In summer the little brown bat inhabits trees, bat houses, and buildings, usually choosing a hot attic, where nursery colonies of hundreds and even thousands form. Less frequently colonies form beneath tar paper, siding, shingles, or other similar sheltered spots,. In the west colonies have been found beneath bridges and in caves. Single males have been found in attics, behind shutters under bark, in rock crevices, behind siding and under shingles. Groups of males occasionally occur in caves.

Mexican Free-tailed Bats  The Mexican Free Tail Bat is the most common bat in Central California. Their natural roost is in caves; however, they are often found roosting in buildings, under bridges and in various other man-made structures. Mexican Free Tail Bats are small, weighing only about ½ ounce with a wing span of 12 to 14 inches.  A US population of more than 100 million also makes it one of the most numerous of all mammals. Most individuals from this region migrate to Mexico for the winter, usually toward the end of October, and return in March to mate.
western red bat is common in California nature The Western Red Bat is locally common in some areas of California, occurring from Shasta County to the Mexican border, west of the Sierra Nevada/Cascade crest and deserts. The winter range includes western lowlands and coastal regions south of San Francisco Bay.

Western Red Bats migrate between summer and winter ranges, and migrants may be found outside the normal range. Roosting habitat includes forests and woodlands from sea level up through mixed conifer forests. The Western red Bats feeds over a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, shrublands, open woodlands and forests, and croplands. Western Red bats are not found int desert areas.

Spotted Bats range throughout all four deserts of the American Southwest.. One of the largest North American bats, this species is also called the Death's Head Bat. One of the rarest North American bats, the Spotted Bat emerges late in the evening, carrying its huge ears forward during flight and giving a loud, high-pitched call. It feeds almost entirely on moths. The ears are held erect when the bat is alert or just before it takes flight, and are curled backward when it rests. This species appears to be relatively solitary, but sometimes hibernates in small clusters.
The big Brown Bat is larger in size than comparative species of bats, from about 4 to 5 inches in body length, with a 11-13 inch wingspan and weighing 1/2 to 5/8 ounces. The fur is moderately long, and shiny brown. The wing membranes, ears, feet, and face are dark brown to blackish in color.

Typical roosts for the big brown bat are bridges, tree hollows, attics, barns or other manmade structures, as these bats are very adaptable. They also use night roosts.

Big brown bats are insectivorous, eating mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and wasps which they capture in flight. After a big brown bat has filled its stomach, it roosts in garages, breezeways, porches or other structures while it digests its food. This species usually takes the same foraging routes night after night. Foraging starts anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour after sunset, Big brown bats, like other bats, do not forage in the rain or cold temperatures.
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