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Little
Brown Bat
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Scientific name
Myotis lucifugus.
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Weight: 7-14
grams.
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Wingspan:
22-27 centimeters.
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Distribution:
Northward from Central Mexico, most of the United States, all of
Southern Canada and much of Alaska.
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Ecology and
Behavior: The little brown bat usually hibernates in caves and
mines. During summer it often inhabits buildings, usually rather hot
attics, where females form nursing colonies of hundreds or even
thousands of individuals. Where most males spend the summer is unknown,
but they likely are solitary and scattered in a variety of roost types.
Colonies usually are close to a lake or stream. This species seems to
prefer to forage over water, but also forages among trees in rather open
areas. When foraging, it may repeat a set hunting pattern around houses
or trees.
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Food Habits:
It eats a variety of insects, including gnats, crane flies, beetles,
wasps, and moths. Insects usually are captured with a wing tip,
immediately transferred into a scoop formed by the forwardly curled tail
and interfemoral membrane, and the grasped with the teeth.
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Reproduction:
Most mating occurs in autumn, but may also occur at the site of
hibernation. Sperm are stored until spring, when fertilization occurs.
One young is born in May, June, or early July. When the mother is at
rest during the day, she keeps the baby beneath a wing. The lifespan of
the little brown bat may be more than 20 years.
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