Thus, a hibernating bat uses little energy and can survive on stored fats rather than spending energy searching for food. While in the state of torpor, a bat's body temperature falls and its rate of metabolism slows. Bats begin to hibernate in November and remain inactive until approximately mid-May. This period allows the animals to survive the cold harsh winter season. Hibernation is simply a period of extended deep sleep for bats, also referred to as torpor. During the period of hibernation, bats can be found in clusters on ceilings and cave walls, curled up like balls. Not all bat species hibernate, but those that do are species that live in high altitude areas where food becomes scarce during the cold winter season. In addition to being nocturnal animals, some species of bats are known to go into hibernation, especially during the cold winter season. Bats live throughout the world, except in extremely cold regions. Bats are primarily nocturnal animals and prefer dark places during the day, such as caves. Additionally, other species, such as the vampire bat, feed on blood. Most species of bats are insectivorous, while others are frugivores, meaning that they feed on fruits. However, bats have recently been divided into Yinqterochiroptera, which includes megabats and certain species of microbats, and Yangochiroptera. Bats are traditionally sub-divided into two sub-orders: echolocating microbats and fruit-eating megabats. Bats belong to the order Chiroptera, which is the second largest order of mammals, and accounts for about 20% of all mammal species, with roughly 1,200 species. Their forelimbs are adapted into wings which can naturally sustain flight. Need bat removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020.Do Bats Hibernate? A group of lesser horseshoe bats hibernating in a cave.īats are the only mammals that have the true ability to fly. Go back to the How to get rid of bats home page. ![]() Moreover, the bats that might spend the winter in bat houses are the ones that inhabit the southernmost area of the northern section. The most likely bat to stay in during the winter is the Big Brown Bat, and that is because of its hardiness. The bats that sleep in trees will travel south just like different birds. Bats that live in bat houses will most probably move into an isolated cave or an abandoned mine. Very few species will actually be able to survive the subfreezing temperature of the north. For example, in the north of the U.S and in Canada, most of the bats species living there will migrate south in the winter. They will not live in one place all year round and even in the winter. Even though most of the bat species will hibernate as opposed to migrate, whenever it becomes necessary, bats will choose migration.īats will choose to migrate in harsh weather conditions. The majority of bats species will migrate to find better hibernating conditions, in contrast to birds that generally migrate so that they can exploit seasonal food resources. Bats may travel in any chosen direction it all depends on the location of their chosen place to hibernate. An interesting factor is that bats will not always choose to travel from the north to the south or in latitudinal directions. It all depends on different factors like the food supply, the condition of the weather, the geographical location, and the migration distances. As a result, some species of bats will hibernate as well as migrate. ![]() Since a lot of energy is spent to fly these long distances during the migration, at the end of the flight there should be a big payoff to restock all those calories that are lost during the long flight times. When the expenditure of energy does not justify moving into a new location, the bats that usually migrate may instead spend their time in hibernation. Since bats need to eat in order to stay alive, food is the driving force behind their migratory habits. However, generally, bats will migrate to where there are food sources available.īoth bat migration and hibernation are based on the supply of food. Some species hibernate, others migrate, and some behave in a combination of the two. There are various bat species and this results in a wide range of behavior.
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