Bats

Missouri National Recreational River is home to eight species of bats, including the endangered northern long-eared bat. These species have been studied and monitored through bat acoustic monitoring, which helps detect long-term trends and get early warning of undesirable changes in bat populations at the park. Unfortunately, several of these bat species are vulnerable to white nose syndrome, a fungal disease the primarily effects cave-dwelling bats.

Riparian forest, wooded uplands, and prairie remnants provide good bat foraging and roosting habitat. Areas with lots of large trees and surface water have high bat activity at Missouri National Recreational River. Places to observe bats during the warm season include anywhere along the river's edge and from the Meridian Bridge in Yankton, SD.

 

Big brown bat

US Fish and Wildlife Service/Ann Froschauer

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

As their name suggests, this species of bat is relatively large with brown fur. The big brown bat is found in virtually every American habitat ranging from timberline meadows to lowland deserts, though it is most abundant in deciduous forest areas. They are also abundant in suburban areas and areas with mixed agricultural use. These bats roost in tree hollows and openings in rock ledges.

Big brown bats are insectivores. They primarily eat beetles along with a wide variety of high-flying insects like moths and flies. Their diet is especially helpful to farmers. A study in Indiana and Illinois tracked a colony of 150 big brown bats that consumed hundreds of thousands of cucumber beetles and other crop pests in just one summer. Eating the cucumber beetles prevented the birth of about 33 million of their larva, also known as the southern corn rootworm, which can decimate corn fields.

Fun Fact: The big brown bat can hibernate for up to 340 days!

 

Eastern red bat

NPS Photo

Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)

Unsurprisingly, the eastern red bat is red. Their fur can range in its reddish color and is tipped in white, which give the bats a “frosted” appearance. They are a medium-sized with short, rounded ears.

Eastern red bats are a tree-dwelling species. During the day, they often roost in the outer canopy of large trees, shrubs, and bushes. In the winter, they hibernate in hollow trees or under loose bark; they rarely enter caves or buildings. Their reddish coloring provides great camoflauge while roosting. When they hang by one or two feet on a tree branch, they blend in very well with dead leaves.

Eastern red bats are insectivores and eat flying insects similar to many of the other bat species found along the Missouri River. These insects include flies, beetles, moths, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, and cicadas.

Fun Fact: Unlike most bats, eastern red bats often give birth to twins and can have litters of up to five young, though a litter of three pups is average.

 

Evening bat

NPS Photo

Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis)

The evening bat is small and dark brown with black wings and ears. They look the most similar to big brown bats, but evening bats are generally much smaller in size.

The evening bat is most commonly found in the southeastern US, but its northern range does extend in the Great Lakes basin and Midwest states like Nebraska and Iowa. Evening bats roost in forests and forage in open habitats such as river corridors and wetlands. These are tree-dwelling and are rarely found in caves.

Like other bats, evening bats are insectivores and have been known to eat beetles, moths, flies, and leafhoppers. They utilize echolocation to hunt and catch their prey midair while flying.

Fun Fact: A colony of 300 evening bats can eat 6.3 million insects per summer (That's 21,000 bugs per bat)!

 

Hoary bat

NPS Photo

Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)

Hoary bats are one of the largest bat species in North America. They have long, soft fur that is brownish-gray with white tips. They have a blunt, rounded nose and broad, rounded ears.

The hoary bat is one of the most widespread bat species in the United States. They can be found throughout North and South America. In the US, they are common in the prairie states but less common in the eastern US. Hoary bats are also migratory and tend to spend falls and winters in their more southern ranges. Hoary bats prefer tree roosts in both summer and winter.

Hoary bats predominantly eat moths, but may also feed on flies, beetles, small wasps and their relatives, grasshoppers, termites, and dragonflies. To catch its prey, the hoary bat approaches from behind, takes the insect’s abdomen and thorax in its mouth, and bites down, dropping the wings and head.

Fun Fact: Hoary bats are the only bat species found in Hawaii!

 

Silver-haired bat

NPS Photo

Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)

Another creatively named bat species, the silver-haired bat has black fur with silver hair on its back. Their fur covers almost all of their body except for the wings, snout, ears, and membrane between their legs that attaches at the ankle.

Silver-haired bats are found throughout most of the United States. They are commonly found in mixed forests near water. In the summer, they rooster in hollows, loose tree bark, and abandoned woodpecker cavities. In the winter, they hibernate in hollow trees and rock crevices.

Silver-haired bats forage for insects. They generally hunt for moths, flies, beetles, and aquatic insects around sunset and just before sunrise. Although silver-haired bats eat a wide variety of insects, they seem to prefer small, soft-bodied species, especially those that swarm in groups.

Fun Fact: Their scientific name “Lasionycteris noctivagans” has a quite poetic translation. It means “hairy night wanderer.”

 

Northern long-eared bat

US Fish and Wildlife Service/Dave Thomas

Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis)

The northern long-eared bat was classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2022. One of the largest threats to this species is white-nose syndrome.

These bats are identifiable by their long ears, especially when compared to other bats. They have dark brown fur on their backs and lighter brown in the belly.

Northern long-eared bats are widely distributed across the United States but their populations are sparse. They have been found in 37 states, primarily in the eastern US and Great Plains but as far west as Montana and Wyoming. The species typically spends winters in caves and spends the remainder of the year in forested habitats. Northern long-eared bats use forested areas not only for roosting, but also for foraging and commuting between summer and winter habitat.

The northern long-eared bat has a diverse diet including moths, flies, leafhoppers, caddisflies, beetles and arachnids. They will typically set out to hunt after sunset and just before sunrise.

Fun Fact: Northern long-eared bats will catch their prey off of surfaces, like on vegetation or on water surfaces. Other bats generally catch insects in the air while flying.

 

Little brown bat

NPS Photo/Erickson Smith

Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Little brown bats are relatively small with long, soft fur that is olive-brown to dark yellowish-brown on their backs. Though their common name suggests they may just be a smaller cousin of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), the little brown bat is a completely separate species with a different genus. In fact, the Myotis genus means "mouse-eared" and is shared with the northern long-eared bat.

The little brown bat has a widespread range in North America, stretching from Canada to most of the United States and into central Mexico. This species was once very abundant but has experienced severe declines due to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease. This species is also subject to significant mortality by turbines at wind energy facilities. Little brown bats use a wide range of habitats and often use human-made structures for resting. They typically roost in caves and mines in the winter, and they can be found in trees, artificial structures, bat houses, under rocks and in piles of wood in the summer.

This bat's diet consists of a wide variety of flying insects, including mosquitoes, midges, caddisflies, moths, various hoppers, small beetles and spiders. These bats forage primarily over rivers and streams or in woodlands near water.

Fun Fact: While feeding in flight, little brown bats will often use their wingtips to push an insect into their tail membrane like a baseball into a mitt, and then they grasp the prey with their teeth.

 

Tri-colored bats

US Fish and Wildlife Service/Pete Pattavina

Tri-colored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus)

The tri-colored bat is the smallest bat species found along the Missouri National Recreational River. Like one of their names suggests, their fur is tri-colored; the base of each hair is dark, the middle is yellow-ish brown, and the tip is dark again. They have black wing membranes, pink forelimbs, and thin, pinkish-tan ears.

The tri-colored bat is a widespread across the eastern and central United States. These bats live near the edges of water near open woods, preferring these areas over open fields or dense forests. In the summer, they roost in buildings, tree cavities, and among leaves. In the winter, they will hibernate in caves. Like the northern long-eared and little brown bats, the tri-colored bat is especially vulnerable to white-nose syndrome, which is a fungal disease the primarily impacts cave-dwelling bats.

Tri-colored bats eat small flying insects (leafhoppers, beetles, flies, moths, and ants). They can be especially efficient hunters when feeding in insect swarms, catching up to 30 insects per minute.

Fun Fact: Tri-colored bats are fairly weak flier and are often mistaken for moths.

 

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