Prints

Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) hibernating in an abandoned mine in Wisconsin. At such northern latitudes, they may hibernate for as much as 8 months, living off of stored fat reserves. Their fur is covered in condensed moisture droplets. When active in summer, just one of these bats can capture 1,000 mosquitoes in a single hour. Hibernation

A tightly packed cluster of endangered Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis) hibernating in a Kentucky cave. With just their faces, ears and wrists exposed, they can pack in at more than 300 per square foot. Hibernation

Newborn baby Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) cluster at 300-500 per square foot in a Texas cave. Sharing body heat speeds growth. Each mother produces just one pup per year, but even in these crowded conditions she can find and nurse her own several times daily. Courtship & Rearing Young

Millions of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerging from Frio Cave in the Texas Hill Country. Their great columns can be seen for miles around. Before their dawn return, they will capture up to 100 tons of insects, mostly crop pests over agricultural areas. Emergences

Between 10 and 20 million Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerging from Bracken Cave in Texas. They will climb thousands of feet above ground where, aided by tail winds, they can travel at up to 100 miles per hour to reach distant feeding areas. Before their dawn return, these bats will consume 100 - 200 tons of insects, mostly crop pests over agricultural areas. Emergence

Between 10 and 20 million Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) emerging from Bracken Cave in Texas. They will climb thousands of feet above ground where, aided by tail winds, they can travel at up to 100 miles per hour to reach distant feeding areas. Before their dawn return, these bats will consume 100 - 200 tons of insects, mostly crop pests over agricultural areas. Emergence

A spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) in Utah. These rarely seen bats roost high up in cliff-face crevices and rely on low-frequency echolocation calls to hunt moths. The moths' ears are tuned to the higher frequencies used by most other bats, so they can't hear the approach of a spotted bat. These bats have white bellies and black backs, each with three white spots. Both their ears and wings are pink, making them one of the most spectacular mammals of North America. Roosting

A Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana) has its face covered in agave pollen, having just returned to its roost from feeding in Arizona. These bats are essential pollinators of many night-blooming desert plants. Pollination

A Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) drinking in flight in Arizona. Like most bats, they typically drink in flight. Drinking

A lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) is just leaving an Agave palmeri in Arizona. This is one of several species that provide critical pollination for hundreds of species of agave and cactus plants, from the southwestern U.S. to the Andes Mountains of South America and many Caribbean Islands. Pollination

A female eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) roosting in tree foliage in Texas. This species ranges throughout most of eastern North America, especially in forested riparian areas. Roosting in tree foliage, it normally lives solitarily and rears 2-4 pups per year. Northernmost populations migrate south for winter, burrowing into fallen leaf litter to hibernate. These bats feed heavily on moths, including species which are major pests of agriculture. Roosting

A Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) catching a corn earworm moth (Helicoverpa zea) in Texas. This moth is a billion-dollar-a-year pest. Bats like this save American farmers billions of dollars annually, by reducing reliance on dangerous pesticides. Catching Prey

Painted or Butterfly Bat (Kerivoula picta), Vespertilionidae

A Painted Bat in flight. This is a rarely seen species that is widespread throughout much of Southeast Asia. In Thailand, these bats roost in the dried tips of dying banana leaves, living in mated pairs, often with a single pup. Their color blends well with the leaves in which they roost, but the purpose for the striking, butterfly-like wing pattern is unknown. When disturbed into flying from roosts during the day, they exhibit a butterfly-like flight, hence their alternate name, Butterfly Bat. Average adult body length is about 4 cm, and weight is approximately 4.5 g. These bats feed on small, flying insects.

Cave Nectar Bats (Eonycteris spelaea) are found throughout most of Southeast Asia where they are extraordinarily important pollinators of ecologically and economically important trees, including Durian, Petai, Wild Banana and Mangroves. This one is pollinating Petai (Parkia speciosa). They live in cave entrances where they form large, conspicuous colonies. In the past their colonies sometimes included up to a million or more individuals, but except where protected, their numbers have declined alarmingly. Pollination

Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)

A female eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) roosting in tree foliage in Texas. This species ranges throughout most of eastern North America, especially in forested riparian areas. Roosting in tree foliage, it normally lives solitarily and rears 2-4 pups per year. Northernmost populations migrate south for winter, burrowing into fallen leaf litter to hibernate. These bats feed heavily on moths, including species which are major pests of agriculture. Roosting