Indiana Bat
Jacqueline Megee
Introduction
- indiana bat (Myotis Sodalis)
- The Indiana bat are grayish brown, are about 3.5 inch in length with a wingspan of 10 inch, and weight 7 g or less than 2 nickles.
- The population is estimated at about 457,000 (2005)
- The Indiana bat is foundin parts of the eastern United States from Oklahoma, Iowa, and Arkansas, east to Vermont and south to northwestern Florida.
- Indiana bats hibernate in caves with a constant temperature of 39-46 degrees. Summer habitat is not clear. Although floodplains and riparian forests are important habitats for roosting and foraging.
- The Indiana bat's scientific name translates to mouse ears (myotis) and companion (sodalis)
Issues
- Major threats to the Indiana bat include: habitat loss, pesticides, human activity, and diseases such as White-nose syndrome. Poisoning their food supply and disrupting their habitats is causing them to die off and migrate other places.
- The population is still decreasing
Preservation Plan
- Since so many Indiana bats are dying from white-nose syndrome we should cut back the other things like disturbing their habitats so that not as many bats die from both causes. We do not want these bats to go instinct causing insect populations to increase.
- The Indiana bat keeps populations of small insects down. They can consume up to 25% of their own body weight in food.
- The predation of the Indiana bast balances out both herbivores and plants environments which keeps an overall balance.
- Currently, Organizations are trying to build awareness by promoting the sales of bat houses and educating people on how harmless bats really are.
Work CIted
Kentucy Bat Working Group. "Indiana Bat." Indiana Bat. Kentucy Bat Working Group, 6 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2016
IN.gov. "Indiana Department of Natural Resources." DNR: Indiana Bats. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
Kasso, Mohammed. "Ecological and Economic Importance of Bats (Order Chiroptera)." Ecological and Economic Importance of Bats (Order Chiroptera). Hindawi, 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.