Indiana Bat
Myotis sodalis
Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis)
Photo Credit: Adam Mann
Habitat and Range: In the summertime, they roost under shagged/peeling tree bark along rivers and streams. In the winter they hibernate in limestone caves and abandoned mines. Their range is from Iowa to Arkansas to Florida to Vermont to Wisconsin and pretty much everywhere in between . They will travel up to 320 miles from their summer sites to their hibernation sites.
Indiana bat under loose tree bark in summer.
Photo Credit: John MacGregor
Appearance: The look very similar to other Myotis sp. like the Little Brown bat and the Northern Long Eared bat. The Indiana bat differs by its lighter pink face rather than a darker pink. Its brown fur is dull matching the dull of the ears and wings, unlike the other species which have contrasting fur. They have small feet with toe hairs shorter than the nail and cartilage spurs to support the tail.
Little brown bat on the left and Indiana bat on the right.
Photo Credit: Adam Mann
Size: Adults weigh around 7 ounces (the weight of three pennies). Their bodies are from about 1.5-3.5 inches with a wingspan of 9-11 inches.
Activity: The best time to see bats emerge from their roost is dusk. They significantly help control pests by eating half their body weight in bugs every night. Their 6 month hibernation period starts around October.
Life Cycle: Indiana bats mate in the fall right before hibernation, but females will store the sperm during hibernation until spring when fertilization will occur. Females usually birth a single pup. The pup is weened after a month, and flying around 3 months. Bats mature by the end of their first year and live typically 5-10 years.
Status: Endangered since 1967. In 2010, the PA Game Commission estimated about a thousand Indiana bats living in PA with only 9 documented maternity site. Human invasion of hibernation sites has been a major cause of the population decline. However, white nose syndrome is also a threat to bats so it is important that humans take precautions to prevent the spread of this fungal disease to new cave areas.
Fun Facts: Indiana bats usually live cooperatively with other bats such as the Little Brown bat. Indiana bats were nicknamed for the state in which they were first discovered. The name Myotis means 'mouse ears" referring to the mouse-like ears of these bats.
Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis)
Photo Credit: Adam Mann
Resources:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. (2012, April 2). Indiana bat, Myotis soladis. New Jersey's Threatened and Endangered Wildlife. https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/indianabat.pdf
PA Game Commission . (n.d.). Bats Wildlife Note. Pennsylvania Game Commission. https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Education/WildlifeNotesIndex/Pages/Bats.aspx.
The National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). Indiana Bat. The National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Educational- Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Bats/Indiana-Bat
US Fish and Wildlife Services. (2019, December 11). Indian Bat (Myotis soladis). Midwest Region Endangered Species. https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/mammals/inba/index.html
US Fish and Wildlife Services. (2019, August 27). Indian Bat (Myotis soladis). Pennsylvania Field Office. fws.gov/northeast/pafo/endangered/indianabat.html
US Fish and Wildlife Services. (2006, December). Indiana Bat (Myotis soladis). Threatened and Endangered Species. https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pafo/pdf/Indiana%20bat%20-%20fact%20sheet.pdf