All about bats!
Bats are honestly way cooler than most people think. If you saw one up close you would realize how small they actually are, and how amazing their impact is for such a small mammal. Bats are volant- the only mammals capable of sustained flight. They fly slower than insects and birds but have an increase in mobility due to their long bones in their fingers that support the wing membrane or patagium.
Most bats are nocturnal meaning they are active at night and navigate with the use of echolocation. To aid in this bats have fleshy structures on their ears and nose or even both to act as a satellite bowl to catch the echolocation sound waves. Bats in the Upper Peninsula are insectivorous- many eat flying insects they catch while in flight and others glean insects of surfaces. Because this food supply is generally not sustainable in winter, bats hibernate or migrate. In the U.P. we have 3 that migrate South in the winter and 4 that stay and hibernate in what is called hibernacula's where they congregate together (sometimes to the thousands)- however some like to go off on their own and aren't so fond of being close to other bats all winter long. Those bats are: the red bat, the hoary bat, and the silver bat, the little brown bat, the big brown bat, the northern long- eared bat, and the tri-colored bat respectively. The latter hibernate in caves and old mine shafts that are common across the Western U.P. "In hibernation the bat's body temperature drops and heart beat and respiration slow. The breathing of a hibernating bat is imperceptible, and its body is cold to touch. Its heartbeat drops from roughly 400 beats per minute when awake, to about 25 in hibernation, and its body temperature drops to within a few tenths of one degree of the surrounding cave. The bat's fat stores are slowly metabolized during hibernation which can last eight months. Even a few moments of disturbance during this time can waste 30 to 60 days worth of fat reserves" ("Bats in the UP").
To study bats, biologists set up tall mist nets in corridors in forests at night and extract the bats from the net in set time intervals as to not cause unnecessary panic from the bats. The bats are "worked up" meaning that species and sex are recorded, age as close as can be determined, measurements are taken, then the biologist will commonly band the bats let similar to bird banding and if a genetic study is being done a small poke in the patagium is made to collect a skin sample. Don't worry it is so small the bats forget it happened and it in no way hinders movement or quality of life.
Unfortunately, bats are having a hard time in the United States. According to the Michigan DNR, "In 2014, white-nose syndrome (WNS), a deadly disease affecting North American bats, was confirmed in Michigan. WNS primarily affects bats during hibernation. Infected bats prematurely awaken from hibernation, rapidly deplete their fat reserves, and are unable to survive the winter. Bats with WNS often exhibit unusual behavior such as flying during daylight hours or gathering outside of caves in cold weather" ("Bats"). White-nose syndrome can be caused or spread by bats contacting other bats that have WNS, bats contacting surfaces that are contaminated, people can spread it by their clothing, gear etc. without knowing it if you go cave to cave or exploring places bats would like to be in. It is important to be aware of this and take precautions. To help prevent the spread of WNS, you can: Practice appropriate hygiene when visiting caves; Avoid bringing clothing or gear into a WNS-free site that was previously used in a WNS-affected site; Don't allow pets to access areas where bats may be roosting or overwintering; Improve bat habitat in your area by reducing lighting around your home, minimizing tree clearing, and protecting streams and wetlands (Information collected from a variety of state wildlife agencies).
For more information on bats in Michigan click the following links:
https://www.dnr.state.mi.us/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/landowners_guide/Species_Mgmt/Bats.htm
https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/michigan-species/mammals/bats
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