{"id":20794,"date":"2023-02-03T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T16:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=20794"},"modified":"2025-11-05T11:53:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:53:04","slug":"unexpected-plants-and-animals-of-indiana-indiana-bats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/unexpected-plants-and-animals-of-indiana-indiana-bats\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected Plants and Animals of Indiana: Indiana Bats"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

D<\/span>espite their name, Indiana bats are found in more than 20 states. The species was first found in southern Indiana\u2019s Wyandotte Caves where they live in close, social groups. During the winter, up to 500 bats can huddle for warmth underground within a single square foot. Their scientific name, Myotis sodalis, is actually Latin for \u201cmouse ear companion.\u201d While that companionship has helped Indiana bats survive for generations, it is now facilitating the spread of a deadly disease that is devastating their population.<\/p>\n

First documented in 2006, white-nose syndrome spreads rapidly. It has killed millions of North American bats over the past decade. Named after a powdery white fungus that grows on the hairless parts of bats, white-nose syndrome spreads on surfaces and through bat-to-bat contact.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/a>

Photos provided by: Caroline Byrne, Bat Ecologist<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cBats spend a lot of time sleeping and really shut down when they hibernate in caves,\u201d said\u00a0Patrick Zollner<\/a>, professor of quantitative ecology. During hibernation, bats lower their body temperature and metabolic rate, increasing their susceptibility to white-nose syndrome.<\/p>\n

The fungus causes behavior changes in bats that make them more active than usual, burning the fat they need to survive and killing the vast majority of those infected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cOne reason bat populations are so sensitive is they are not prolific breeders like other small mammals,\u201d said Zollner.\u00a0Indiana bats give birth to a single pup each summer, making it hard for their numbers to rebound.<\/p>\n

Though the effects of the population decline are visible, specifics are hard to determine. This fall, Sally Martinez, a graduate student in Zollner\u2019s lab, began work to unravel the impact.<\/p>\n

For full article please visit Unexpected Plants and Animals of Indiana: Indiana Bats<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our\u00a0Ask an Expert<\/span><\/a>\u00a0web page.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/strong>
\nHardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) Highlights: Bats<\/a>, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
\nBats in the Belfry<\/a>, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
\nAsk An Expert: Bats on the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE)<\/a>, Video, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR Facebook
\nBats in Indiana<\/a>, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)
\nBat Houses<\/a>, Bat Conservation International
\nCreating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
\nThe Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE): Indiana Forestry and Wildlife<\/a>, The Education Store
\nHEE<\/a>, YouTube Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
\nHEE \u2013 Wildlife Responses to Timber Harvesting<\/a>, The Education Store<\/p>\n

Pat Zollner<\/a>, Professor Wildlife Science
\nDepartment of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n

Robert Chad Campbell, Writer
\nCollege of Agriculture<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite their name, Indiana bats are found in more than 20 states. The species was first found in southern Indiana\u2019s Wyandotte Caves where they live in close, social groups. During the winter, up to 500 bats can huddle for warmth underground within a single square foot. Their scientific name, Myotis sodalis, is actually Latin for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[260,1560,72,1113],"class_list":["post-20794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wildlife","tag-bats","tag-purdue-forestry-and-natural-resources","tag-wildlife","tag-woodland","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20794"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34938,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20794\/revisions\/34938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}