INDIANA
BATS
Jeanna Eppley
Southmont Jr/Sr High School
Crawfordsville, Indiana
BATS
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Draw a picture, write words, phrases and/or
sentences telling me
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What you know about bats
How you feel about bats
Experiences with bats
Why are bats bad/good
Etc…
Why do we fear Bats?
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Bad Public Perception
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Vampires-Blood eaters
Blind – “Blind as a bat”
Diseases - Rabies
Attacks – Biting people
Is this true???
Are bats blind vampires?
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There are Vampire bats!
They do NOT live in North America
They do NOT feed on humans’ blood
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Bats are NOT blind, they do have eyes.
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There sight is not the best, but their hearing is!
Will they drink my blood?
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No- Not in Indiana
Only 3 species are blood eaters
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– Vampire Bats
680 species eat insects
236 species eat Fruit
Others eat: meat (mostly rodents), nectar,
and fish.
Rabid Bats Attack???
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Disease
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Bats, like most
mammals, can transmit
disease to other
animals and humans.
Sick bats do not live
long and there are not
many of them.
Rabid Bats Attack???
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Attack
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Bats will not fly at you!
People who suffer from bat bites have put
themselves in that situation.
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NEVER APPROACH AND/OR HANDLE A BAT
and you will get along just fine.
History and Folklore
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Have been worshiped as
gods
Symbols of good luck
Associated with
Halloween
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Bats are usually in
hibernation at this time.
Bat Facts
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Bats are Mammals
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Body is covered with Hair
The mothers have Live Birth
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Usually 1 pup per year
Mothers produce Milk for their young.
Only True Flying Mammal
About 1,000 Species
Bats make up about ¼ of mammal species
Indiana Bats
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Hoary Bat
Silver-haired Bat
Little Brown Myotis – Indiana Myotes
Big Brown Bat
Evening Bat
Eastern Pipistrelle
Big Brown Bat
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Common in Indiana and most of the US
Average Weight: 20 grams
Insectivores: Feed on Insects
Favorite Food: Beetles and Moths
Big
Brown Bat
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Common in Indiana
and most of the US
Average Weight: 20
grams
Insectivores: Feed on
Insects
Favorite Food:
Beetles and Moths
Photo Courtesy of Robert Chapman
Purdue University Extension
Big Brown Bat
Photo Courtesy of Robert Chapman
Purdue University Extension
Little
Brown Bat
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Common in Indiana
and most of the US
Insectivores: Feed on
Insects
Average Weight: 10
Grams
Favorite Food:
Aquatic Larva
Photo Courtesy of Robert Chapman
Purdue University Extension
Eastern Pipestrelle
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Common in Indiana and Eastern half of U.S.
Insectivores: Feed on Insects
Average Weight: 5 Grams
Favorite Food: Flying insects (Beetles, Moths, Flies)
Eastern Pipestrelle
Photo Courtesy of Robert Chapman
Purdue University Extension
Eastern Red Bat
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Common in Indiana
and a majority of U.S.
Insectivores: Feed on
Insects
Average Weight: 13
Grams
Favorite Food: Flying
insects (Beetles,
Moths, Flies)
Photo Courtesy of Robert Chapman
Purdue University Extension
Eastern Red Bat
Photo Courtesy of Robert Chapman
Purdue University Extension
Importance to You
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How are bats important to your life?
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Brainstorm
Japanese Beetles
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Cause major harm to our crops and
landscape every year!
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Beetle Count Activity
Worksheet –
Japanese Beetle Populations
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Population
Japanese Beetle Population:
Each Female lays approximately __50____ eggs per year
Life Cycle: _Complete: Egg, Larva, Pupae, Adult_________________
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Damaging Stages ____Adult__ and ______Larvae________
Larval Stage Name _____White Grub_____________
Damages ___Larvae feed on roots below the ground; often the wounds left lead to disease transmission
in the plant. Adults feed on foliage, very destructive.
Use the following to determine the population increase for Japanese beetles.
1 Female x 50 Offspring = _____ x 50 cycle two = _____________
___________x 50 cycle 3 = _______________ x 50 cycle 4 = _______________
___________x 50 cycle 5 = _______________ x 50 cycle 6 = _______________
___________x 50 cycle 7 = _______________ x 50 cycle 8 = _______________
___________x 50 cycle 9 = _______________ x 50 cycle 10= _______________
If one bat can consume 1,000 insects per night, how many generations would the bat consume in one
week? Show your work!
Bat Habitat
What must be provided for any organism to
live
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Food
Water
Shelter
What is the ideal bat habitat?
Build your own Bat House!
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http://www.batcon.com/bhratop.html
Reflection
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Write about three things you have learned
about bats?
Have your feelings about bats changed?
What would you tell someone who is
scared of bats to help them accept the
mammals?