By Rich Niccum, education services manager
While some may shudder at the sight of a bat, it is an extremely important animal, not only here in Ohio but throughout the world. In many ecosystems, bats are a keystone species: if they disappear, the natural balance of the ecosystem will be severely affected. There are 1,200 species of bats (one-fifth of all mammal species) in the world, with two-thirds of bat species living as insectivores. The other one-third feed on fruit and nectar and serve as vital pollinators and seed dispersers. Less than one percent of the species eat fish, frogs, mice and other small vertebrates.
Bats range in size from the bumblebee bat, the world’s smallest mammal (weighing in at less than a penny), to the flying fox which has a six-foot wingspan. https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/bat_flyingfox?source=relatedvideo
Bats are the only flying mammals and can attain speeds between 6 and 18 mph or 10-20 wing beats per second.
Ohio is home to 13 species of bats, from the Big Brown Bat (largest) to the Eastern Pipistrelle (smallest). The big brown bat is the most common Ohio bat and the one that will be the most likely to venture into buildings in search of a daytime roost.
Ohio bats work hard each summer evening to save us from being overrun by mosquitoes and other insects. One little brown bat can eat 600-1,000 mosquito-sized insects in an hour. A colony of little brown bats can eat upwards of 18-million rootworm pests each summer, saving Ohio farmers millions of dollars in damaged crops. For me, not having welts down my arms and legs is reason enough to value bats.
The biggest threat to U.S. bat populations today is White-Nose Syndrome, a fungus that grows on the bats, and a relatively new aggression in the last several years. The fungus can be seen growing on bats’ faces and wings and causes the bats to use up much-needed fat reserves during the winter months. It often causes the bats to wake up from hibernation early, resulting in almost certain death in freezing and sub-freezing temperatures.
You can help Ohio’s bats by erecting bat houses, educating others about the importance of bats, and by supporting habitat preservation and bat conservation efforts. With warm weather with us for through September, step outside and watch the bats in your neighborhood and say “thank-you” for their nightly efforts. You can also visit Shale Hollow Park to see a bat exhibit inside the Lodge and learn about all the things bats do for us daily. This is the last weekend for the exhibit (the last day is Sept. 3), so don’t miss out.
