The gray bat ( Myotis grisescens ) once flourished in caves all over the southeastern United States, but due to human disturbance, gray bat populations declined severely during the early and mid portion of the 20th century. During grooming, gray bats also ingest ectoparasites such as chiggers that live in their fur. Gestation: 40 days - 6 months (bigger bats have longer gestation periods) Litter Size: Mostly one pup. Annual molting occurs between early June and early August, during which gray bats eat larger amounts of hair than at other times during the activity season. Bats find shelter in caves, crevices, tree cavities and buildings. Gray Bat females give birth to one offspring per clutch (bout of reproduction), thus giving birth to one offspring per year. Offspring typically are cared for in maternity colonies, where females congregate to bear and raise the young. Bats can be found almost anywhere in the world except the polar regions and extreme deserts. Multiple entrances and good airflow comprise the other characteristics that gray bats find desirable. To survive the winter some species of bat migrate, others hibernate, and yet others go into torpor (regulated hypothermia that can last from a few hours to a few months). Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. grisescens, the wing membrane connects to the ankle. For their size, bats are the slowest reproducing mammals on Earth. Gray Bats are believed to groom extensively before beginning their nightly hunt. Fall migration occurs in approximately the same order as spring emergence, with females departing first (early September for fall migration) and juveniles leaving last (mid-October).
During hibernation, the body temperature of gray bats drops close to the ambient temperature, allowing the body to conserve fat. Gray bats have uni-colored dark gray fur on their backs that may bleach to a russet or chestnut brown after the molting season (July or August). Some bats have evolved a highly sophisticated sense of hearing. Therefore, gray bats demonstrate an iteroparous life-history strategy. Almost 1,000 bat species can be found worldwide. Some species are solitary while others form colonies of more than a million individuals. They emit sounds that bounce off of objects in their path, sending echoes back to the bats. Fast Facts Size: Bats are divided into two suborders: Megachiroptera, meaning large bat, and Microchiroptera, meaning small bat. From these echoes, the bats can determine the size of objects, how far away they are, how fast they are traveling and even their texture, all in a split second. Gestation in gray bats lasts 60 to 70 days, with birth occurring in late May and early June. For example, populations of gray bats tend to cluster in caves known as hibernacula to prepare for winter hibernation. The young clings to the mother for about a week, after which they remain in the maternity colony until they are able to fly. The bodies of the smallest bats are no more than an inch long. Unlike in other species of Myotis, where the wing membrane connects to the toe, in M. While some bat populations number in the millions, others are dangerously low or in decline.
