Bats are not blind!
How do bats move around in the dark?
All bats can see but some use a special sonar system called echolocation. These bats make high frequency calls either out of their mouths or noses and then listen for echos to bounce from the objects in front of them. They are able to form pictures in their brains by listening to the reflected sounds.

Why do Bats hang upside down?
A bat needs to hang upside down in order to drop into flight and to roost (rest or sleep). Its hind limbs are rotated 180 degrees so that its knees face backwards. Hanging upside also helps to conserve energy and to protect bats from predators as they can access spaces that other animals cannot reach such as the ceilings of caves and the slim branches of trees.

What do Bats eat?
• Insects: 70% of all the bats in the world eat insects and many of them use echolocation in order to find insects. Many insect- eating bats can eat more than 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in an hour.
• Fruit: these bats live in tropical climates and have very good eyesight and sense of smell
• Nectar: these bats have long noses and tongues for harvesting nectar
• Carnivores: these bats have sharp claws and teeth
• Vampires: only a few bat species found in Latin America eat only blood

BATS OF THE SOUTH OKANAGAN SIMILKAMEEN

There are 16 different species of bats in British Columbia. Fourteen of these species are found in the South Okanagan and Similkameen which makes this region home to the richest bat diversity in all of Canada. The warm, arid climate and abundance of bat friendly habitats such as grasslands, ponderosa pine forests, valley bottom riparian areas and rugged rock cliffs account for the high diversity of bat species in this area.

Who are the Bats of the South Okanagan Similkameen?

All of the bat species in the south Okanagan Similkameen are insectivorous. They do not eat fruit! This is great for orchardists, vineyard owners and farmers as bats are a natural insecticide.

Of the fourteen bat species in the South Okanagan Similkameen, six are currently considered at risk or threatened. These include:

Townsend’s big-eared bat
Pallid Bat
Western small-footed myotis
Spotted bat
Fringed myotis
Western red bat

Spotlight on Species…

Pallid Bat

Latin: Antrozous pallidus

Federal status: Endangered
Provincial status: Red listed

The Pallid Bat is considered to be one of the rarest mammals in British Columbia. In all of Canada, it is found only in the South Okanagan and Similkameen valleys.

Courtesy of Wade Alcock

Characteristics and information:

 The Pallid Bat is the second largest bat in British Columbia with a body that measures 11.5 cm and a wingspan of 35 cm.
 Their fur is creamy white on the underside and pale yellow on the back. It is often referred to as the ghost bat as it has a furry white abdomen.
 Young are born in late May to mid-July.
 Unlike most bat species, the Pallid Bat commonly bears two young

Habitat
• Pallid Bats live in arid desert areas, often near rocky outcrops and water.
• In the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, they are restricted to low elevation grasslands and ponderosa pine forests in the vicinity of cliff faces.
• Night roosts are close to foraging areas and consist of live ponderosa pines, rock shelters, open buildings, porches, bridges, shallow caves, mines and other human-made structures.
• Day roosts include rock crevices in steep cliffs, stone piles, man-made structures and trees. 
• Forage over tracts of open grassland, sparsely covered with shrubs and often bordered by ponderosa pines; gravel roads may also provide foraging corridors.

Courtesy of Wade Alcock

Food Habits
• Pallid Bats are late feeders, leaving day roosts about 45 minutes after sunset.
• Pallid Bats feed on moths, beetles and other bugs and can eat up to 100% of their body weight each evening.
• Usually glean prey from the ground and the foliage of trees and shrubs; occasionally pursue insects in the air using echolocation.
• Consume large invertebrates including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths and lacewings; there are records of this bat preying on small lizards and a rodent.
• While hunting, Pallid Bats fly slowly, close to the ground, with rhythmic dips and rises; while hunting prey on the ground it listens for their rustling sounds.
Interesting Facts
• After feeding, Pallid Bats cluster together at the night roost and become torpid (lower their body temperature and metabolic rate) for several hours if temperatures are cool.
• A social bat, this species emits a variety of vocalizations for communicating in a colony; many calls are audible to the human ear.
• Produce a musky skunk-like odour from glands on the muzzle which may be a defensive mechanism for repelling predators.
Threats
• Extensive land development in the South Okanagan-Similkameen has eliminated or fragmented their habitat (low elevation ponderosa pine forest, grasslands and riparian areas).
• Heavy grazing may reduce availability of ground-dwelling insects.
• Very sensitive to human disturbance.
• Susceptible to cat predation.

Management Considerations
• Avoid the use of pesticides, particularly near wetlands and riparian areas.
• Protect known roosting sites from disturbance.
• Maintain water levels in ponds as sources of drinking water and foraging areas. Avoid filling or draining wetland areas.
• Discourage, free-roaming domestic cats, especially near potential bat habitat.

Townsend’s big-eared bat

Latin: Corynorhinus townsendii

Federal status: Threatened
Provincial: Blue

Courtesy of Wade Alcock

Characteristics:
• Total length: 10 cm; wingspan: 29 cm.
• Huge ears: 3-4 cm long (about one half of the body length!)
• Weight: 9 grams.
• Long dorsal fur varies from pale brown to blackish-grey; underfur is paler.
• Two prominent glandular swellings on its nose.
Habitat
• Dry grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests.
• Foraging habitat includes insect-rich riparian areas, wetlands, forest edges and open woodland.
• Summer day and night roosts include caves, old mines and buildings; these locations are also suitable hibernating sites.
• Dependent on close proximity of roosting and foraging sites.
• Summer maternity colonies and hibernation sites are usually within few kilometres.

Reproduction
• Hibernation occurs from September to May.
• Mating takes place from November to February, usually at hibernation sites.
• In spring, females form summer maternity colonies, usually returning to the same site each year; males roost singly at night in scattered locations.
• Gestation period is controlled by temperature and varies from 50 to 100 days; cool temperatures induce torpor (a lowering of body temperature and metabolic rate).
• Female bats give birth to one young per year in late June to mid July.
• Young grow extremely fast and begin to fly at 2.5 to 3 weeks of age and are weaned at about 6 weeks.
Food Habits
• Bats begin foraging an hour or so after dark and feed several times throughout the night.
• Diet consists of small moths, flies, beetles, lacewings and sawflies.
• Prey is gleaned by these agile bats from foliage of trees and shrubs, although most insects are captured in the air.
Interesting Facts
• A Townsend’s Big-eared Bat’s average lifespan is 16 years; bats may live up to 30 years.
• Highly maneuverable flyer; capable of flying at slow hovering speeds.
• Large ears funnel sound into ear canal, and may also provide lift during flight and assist with temperature regulation.

• By the end of hibernation, a bat may lose more than half of its autumn weight.

Threats
• Extensive land development in the Okanagan has eliminated or fragmented their habitat (low elevation forest, grassland and riparian areas).
• Their low reproductive rate means a slow recovery rate after disturbances.
• Nursery roosts are extremely sensitive to human disturbance; females may permanently abandon a traditional summer roost.
• Disturbance at winter hibernating sites can cause energy loss, abandonment of the site and death.
• Sealing mine shafts reduces opportunities for summer roosting and winter hibernation.
Management Considerations
• Avoid the use of pesticides, particularly near wetlands and riparian areas.
• Protect key habitat such as forest, grassland, wetlands and riparian areas.
• Refrain from entering caves or mine shafts, particularly during winter months when bats are hibernating.

Bats in the Vineyard: A benefit

Natural pest control and a free source of fertilizer- bat guano!

Spotted bats feed exclusively on moths!

A single bat can eat 20 to 25 moths in one meal. A colony of 100 bats could eat up to 2500 moths in one night!

I am eating insects not grapes!!!

Courtesy of Daniela Rambaldini