BATS! Kings Park's neighbors of the Night.

Welcome to another Kings Park Focus on Nature Blog.

Of all our resident animals, bats stand out as being among the weirdest. When they evoke a strong reaction, and unfortunately it is often negative. When Halloween rolls around, bats top the list of creatures we feel to be “spooky”. Scary or not, these are uniquely adapted creatures, that play an important role in our ecosystem. So let’s explore the lives and world of our local bats, and perhaps be a little less creeped out by them.

Bats are mammals that have evolved to fill many ecological niches throughout the world. Most are insectivores, but there are those that eat fish, frogs, pollen, and fruit. Of course there is also the Vampire Bat, whose dietary habits are the stuff of fact and fiction.                    Although bats vary in their preferred diet and other adaptations, all share some similarities.

As mentioned above, they are all mammals, giving birth to live young, (called “pups”) and providing care, including nursing, for their young.

            While they may look like flying mice (literally Fledermaus, in German), bats are not merely flying rodents, but instead belong to their own class of animals - Chiropterans.

They are fur covered. Their forelegs feature fingers with extensive membranes stretched

between them. This adaptation allows this mammal to fly, and it is the only mammal capable of true flight. The rear legs and tail also sport membranes between them, adding to the aerodynamic abilities of bats. They can move about on surfaces using their small back feet, and the digits on their forewings, though rather clumsily.

 Zoologists divide bats into two subgroups. These are known as Micro Bats, and Mega Bats. The former are insectivores, and all the bats likely to be encountered on Long Island belong to this group, and sharing the characteristics which I will describe here. The Mega Bats are best epitomized by the well known “Flying Fox” species – a large fruit - eating bat of the tropics. These bats can have a wingspan approaching five feet! Our local bats are much smaller. Bats found on Long Island include the Big Brown Bat, Little Brown Bat, Northern Bat, Eastern Red Bat, Hoary Bat, Silver Haired Bat and Small Footed Bat. New York State as a whole is home to nine species of bat.

Bats are not blind, but since they are crepuscular (nocturnal), they hunt mainly at night. They have evolved a highly effective way to navigate their nocturnal worlds, referred to as echolocation. They emit high pitched sounds, which reflect of objects around them, and bounce back to the bats sensitive ears. From this process, the bats can determine the distance of the object, size, how fast it might be moving, and whether it might be suitable prey, such as an insect. This method of hunting is certainly effective. For example, studies have shown that bats such as the Little Brown Bat can devour upwards of 1,000 insects in a night. When you consider that a bat can live over twenty years, the role these animals play in insect population control is very apparent. All the more reason to welcome them to your neighborhood!

Our resident bats have different ways of dealing with the onset of winter. Since availability of insect prey is limited in the cold seasons, they may migrate, hibernate, or go into a type of controlled hypothermic state which varies in duration from hours to weeks. Whether roosting during winter or the warmer seasons, bats congregate singly, in small groups, or in large numbers, depending on the species.

Unfortunately bat populations in North America are in serious decline. This is largely because of the introduction of a highly infectious disease referred to as “white nose syndrome”. This fungus can wipe out an entire colony of hibernating bats. A symptom of the disease is white fuzz around the face of the affected animal. The fungus irritates the bat, rousing it from torpor or hibernation, causing it to burn fat needed for winter survival. Infected bats can sometimes be observed flying in winter, in a fruitless search for insect food. Eventually they starve and die.

While it is true that a very small percentage of bats carry rabies that is a rarity. However, if a bat finds its way into your home a licensed nuisance wildlife control professional should be called to remove it. This is best for the safety of both people and the animals. Incidentally, while bats may fly close to people while seeking insect prey, they certainly are not attempting to fly into anyone’s hair.

 The ariel acrobatics of bats are very entertaining to watch. They can be seen more easily at dusk in the skies over open fields or ponds and lakes. Two excellent locations to see them in pursuit of their insect dinners are at Nissequoge River State Park and Sunken Meadow State Park. Enjoy our nocturnal neighbors as they patrol our skies!

            See you on the trails!