Brown Bat – Humane Wildlife Removal

About the Big Brown Bat

Bats are just bats, right? Not exactly. There are several different species of bats all across North America that terrify many people. Bats are very commonly seen once it gets dark, and one of the most common ones is the big brown bat. These interesting bats are unique in many ways, and there are a variety of interesting facts about these little creatures. Continue reading for an overview of the big brown bat.

Appearance

These bats are large and are often referred to as rats with wings, as they are very similar in appearance to rats. Their fur is either brown or copper-colored and the fur on their abdomen is usually a lighter color. Big brown bats have round, small, black ears and black tails. They have a wide nose that looks odd for its face.

Habitat

Big brown bats are very adaptable creatures, as they can be found in virtually every environment, be it the mountains or the desert, to cities and forests. They can be found throughout much of North America, from northern Canada all the way down to northern South America. It is no wonder that this is one of the most commonly seen bats in the United States.

Diet

Big brown bats are insect-eating fanatics. They use their echolocation abilities to snag insects out of the air without spending much effort and energy at all. They love to eat beetles, in addition to moths, flying ants, wasps, flies, mosquitoes, and many other flying insects.

Size

Big brown bats are some of the larger bats found in the United States, and their wingspan is generally anywhere from a foot to a foot and a half in length. They weigh anywhere from .5-1.25 ounces, making them very lightweight creatures.

Lifespan

How long can a big brown bat live? They seem like the type of animal that could live forever, as you rarely find a dead bat. It turns out that bats can live up to 20 years in the wild, however many of them die their first year. This high percentage of first-year deaths is due to these bats not storing enough fat to last them the whole time they hibernate.

Predators

There is a great variety of animals that will try to kill bats, varying in size and ability, which is why bats build roosts. Many animals like cats, dogs, raccoons, snakes, and opossums, actively search for young bats that have fallen from their nests. Owls and other raptors can be dangerous to bats as they are in flight.

Reproductive Characteristics

Big brown bats create colonies in which they can raise their young, called pups. There can be anywhere from 15 to 350 bats present in each colony, as each group of bats will be different. This species of bat mate during the fall and winter, however, the pregnancy does not start until the spring. Sometime between the end of May and the beginning of June, these big brown bats have one or two babies, which are entirely dependent on the mother. After about a month, these pups will head off on their own adventure.