| Silver-haired
bats are among the most common bats in forested areas of America,
most closely associated with coniferous or mixed coniferous and deciduous
forest types, especially in areas of Old Growth. They form maternity
colonies almost exclusively in tree cavities or small hollows. And
like many forest-roosting bats, silver-haired bats will switch
roosts
throughout the maternity season. Because silver-haired bats are dependent
upon roosts in Old Growth areas, managing forests for diverse
age
structure and maintaining forested corridors are important to these
bats. It is estimated that these bats require snag densities of
at
least 21 per hectare and often forest management practices have fallen
far short of this figure. Unlike many bat species, silver-haired
bats
also appear to hibernate mainly in forested areas, though they may
be making long migrations from their summer forest to a winter
forest
site. Typical hibernation roosts for this species include small tree
hollows, beneath exfoliating bark, in wood piles, and in cliff
faces.
Occasionally silver-haired bats will hibernate in cave entrances,
especially in northern regions of their range. Like big brown
bats,
the silver-haired bats have been documented to feed on many insects
perceived as pest species to humans and/or agriculture and forestry.
Even though they are highly dependent upon Old Growth forest areas
for roosts, silver-haired bats feed predominantly in disturbed
areas,
sometimes at tree-top level, but often in small clearings and along
roadways or water courses. Though their diets vary widely, these
bats
feed chiefly on small, soft-bodied insects. Silver-haired bats have
been known to take flies, midges, leafhoppers, moths, mosquitoes,
beetles, crane flies, lacewings, caddisflies, ants, crickets,
and
occasional spiders. |
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