Indiana Bat
(Myotis sodalist)
The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalist) is also referred to as the social bat or the Indiana myotis. In the summer, they can be found roosting in trees close to sources of water, treetops, under the bark of dead or dying trees, and in old buildings. They are a migratory species that prefer to hibernate in colonies of up to 5,000 individuals in caves and mines. They choose these subterranean areas because of the stable temperature in the winter.
The natural range of these bats spans from the midwestern U.S. spreading east and south, from Oklahoma and Iowa to Michigan, up to New York and Vermont, and south into Alabama. They are insectivores who mate in the fall before hibernation. The females will form small maternity colonies in the spring until their young are weaned and then they will return to roost with the males. Female Indiana bats birth a single pup in a litter.
The Indiana bats can range in color from a dull gray to a chestnut brown with a pink nose. From head to tail, they reach lengths of 2 to 4 inches, up to a 10 ½ inch wingspan, and reach weights of 5 to 11 grams.
