Are Ohio Bats in Danger of Extinction?

Ohio has 11 species of bats and the July 2018 endangered and threatened species list has all 11

Ohio bats listed at some level of threat toward their future. This should be a concern to us because it is a red flag that bats could become a thing of the past if we do not take action today. All Ohio bats are insectivores which means they eat insects. One bat can consume over 1000 insects such as mosquitoes, moths and beetles a night. They are natures form of insect control. If the bats did not exist than we would have a serious economical problem. The insects would cause serious devastation to crops which means the cost of our food would increase dramatically. Farmers would be forced to use more pesticides on crops and we all know how pesticides negatively affect the environment. Human diseases would also increase as many insects transmit diseases to humans. With no bats to control the insects, more humans will now be affected by insect bites.

See complete list on Division of Wildlife website

OHIO ENDANGERED SPECIES

• Indiana myotis - Myotis sodalis (Also on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered list)

OHIO THREATENED SPECIES

• Northern long-eared bat - Myotis septentrionalis (Also on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service threatened list)

OHIO SPECIES OF CONCERN

• Eastern small-footed bat - Myotis leibii
• Rafinesque’s big-eared bat - Corynorhinus rafinesquii
• Little brown bat - Myotis lucifugus
• Big brown bat - Eptesicus fuscus
• Tri-colored bat - Perimyotis subflavus
• Silver-haired bat - Lasionycteris noctivagans
• Red bat - Lasiurus borealis
• Hoary bat - Lasiurus cinereus

OHIO SPECIAL INTERESTS

• Evening bat - Nycticeius humeralis

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Bat numbers are decreasing around the country for several reasons such as white nose syndrome ( a fungus affecting cave dwelling bats), habitat destruction and senseless killing of bats to just name a few.

First, bats are not a threat to humans. Only 3 bat species drink blood and they live in Central and South America. Less than half of 1% bats carry rabies. You actually have a higher chance of a rabies bite from a dog than from bats.

Provide a habitat for bats in your area. You can build/purchase a bat house to install in your yard. Do not place these on trees as bats are open to predators on trees. Place on poles or side of a structure at least 15 feet above ground and a minimum of 6 hours sunlight. Do not get discouraged if bats do not take up residence right away. It can take a few years before bats take up residence in the new home.  Read more.

If you have cats or dogs, make sure they do not disturb the bats on your property. If you find an injured bat, contact your local wildlife rehab center for help.

If you have bats in your attic, do not close them in. Let them leave before closing up their entrance. It is better to call a humane wildlife control agent and let them remove the bats humanely. Also, make sure to provide them with an alternative home before closing up your attic such as a bat house. Read more.

Get involved and learn more about bats. Contact your local department of natural resources, division of wildlife or wildlife rehab centers. Many could use your help and you can learn as you help protect the future of our bats.

Bats do not like disturbances. Human activity can cause them to leave or reject new homes. So make sure they have very little disturbances from humans, pets and wildlife. 

The most important tool we can have to protect our bats is to EDUCATE! Learn what you can about bats and pass your knowledge on to others.  Below are some valuable sites to learn more about bats. Donations are also needed to help continue research and protection.

Bat Conservation International
Bat World Sanctuary
Bat Conservation and Management
Bat Conservation Trust
Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation

The purchase of bat products also help

Bat Goods



DEFINITIONS

ENDANGERED: A native species or subspecies threatened with extirpation from the state. The danger may result from one or more causes, such as habitat loss, pollution, predation, interspecific competition, or disease.

THREATENED: A species or subspecies whose survival in Ohio is not in immediate jeopardy, but to which a threat exists. Continued or increased stress will result in its becoming endangered.

SPECIES OF CONCERN: A species or subspecies which might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress. Also, a species or subspecies for which there is some concern but for which information is insufficient to permit an adequate status evaluation. This category may contain species designated as a furbearer or game species but whose statewide population is dependent on the quality and/or quantity of habitat and is not adversely impacted by regulated harvest.

SPECIAL INTEREST: A species that occurs periodically and is capable of breeding in Ohio. It is at the edge of a larger, contiguous range with viable population(s) within the core of its range. These species have no federal endangered or threatened status, are at low breeding densities in the state, and have not been recently released to enhance Ohio’s wildlife diversity. With the exception of efforts to conserve occupied areas, minimal management efforts will be directed for these species because it is unlikely to result in significant increases in their populations within the state.

Large Flying Fox - Pteropus vampyrus

The flying foxes are fruit bats known as the mega bats of the old world. The name flying fox comes from their fox or dog looking face with pointed ears

As with most species of animals, the best way to determine a species is by their scientific name as in the Large Flying Fox that would be Pteropus vampyrus. The reason is because there can be numerous common names. The Large Flying Fox is also known as the Greater Flying Fox and the Malayan Flying Fox just as a start.

The Large Flying Fox is from the family, Pteropodidae, lives in forests, coconut groves, mixed fruit orchards and other habitats of Southeast Asia.

Though it is not the largest flying fox, that title goes to the Golden Crown, Acerodon jubatu, it does have a wing span around 5 feet with a weight around 2.5 pounds.

The IUCN recently listed this species as Near Threatened due to habitat destruction, hunting and senseless killing as some see them as pests.

My video shows the Large Flying Foxes at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. You can see them move about the wire ceiling with ease. The bones in their wings are similar to humans. They have all five digits like humans. They can use their legs and their thumb in the wing to hang and move about the ceiling.

Insectary at Ohio State University

I had the opportunity to tour the Insectary at Ohio State University and found it to be very educational. I was able to see insects from around the globe and learn about some of their unique characteristics and habitats. Below are some of the photos I took during my tour.

Click on images to enlarge.

Northern Walkingstick - Diapheromera femorata

The Northern Walkingstick lives in deciduous forest of Canada and the United States including Ohio. This gentle insect can be found with colors from brown to green which helps them hide in the foliage of trees and shrubs. They can grow to about 3-4 inches in length and the male is usually smaller than the female.


Australian Stick Insect - Extatosoma tiaratum

The Australian Stick Insect, also known as the Giant Prickly Stick Insect, can be found in Australia and New Guinea. The larger female has small flightless wings, spines on her body and large lobes on her legs. The smaller male can have smaller spines but is able to fly due to large wings as seen in the fourth photo below. Though they are harmless, the female can resemble a scorpion as she can curl up her tail to ward off predators..


Peruvian Black Velvet Stick Insect - Peruphasma schultei

The Peruvian Black Velvet Stick Insect is named due to their velvety appearance. They live in a very small area in the mountains of Peru. They possess a defense where they can spray a strong smelling substance from a gland at the rear of their head.  Though the spray is harmless, it can cause irritation to the eyes.


Blonde Tarantula - Aphonopelma chalcodes

The Blonde Tarantula can be found in the southwestern United States. Their temperament can vary between individual species though they are mostly a docile tarantula. They can be found living in burrows under rocks or deserted rodent homes. They will eat insects such as beetles, crickets, cicadas and certain lizards. When the tarantula molts, they lie on the back and work their way out of their outer skin which stays in one piece. During molting, the tarantula must be left alone as it may result in death.


Chilean Rose-hair Tarantula - Grammostola rosea

The Chilean Rose-hair Tarantula is from the northern Atacama Desert region in Chile which is a very hot and dry habitat. They hunt at night on insects such as grasshoppers, crickets and locusts. They are a docile spider that can grow to about 5” across and have been found to have a few different color forms.


Vietnamese Orange-legged Centipede - Scolopendra dehaani

The brightly colored Vietnamese Orange-legged Centipede can be found in Vietnam and through-out Southern Asia and can grow up to 8 inches in length. They are a hardy centipede but can be aggressive and deliver a painful bite. A bite can be similar to a bee sting as it can affect people differently but there is no substantiated proof of death from this centipede.

After starting video, click at lower right to enlarge it 
Cameroon Black Train Millipede - Mardonius parilis acuticonus

The shiny, black Cameroon Black Train Millipede loves to climb and can grow to about 9 inches in length. They like to eat fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, oranges and bananas. Millipedes have two sets of legs per segment (centipedes only have one set per segment) and the male has gonopods on the seventh segment instead of legs.


Leach's Millipede - Euryurus leachii

The Leach's Millipede, native to North America, can be found around decaying hardwood logs and stumps near water. They are a species of the flat-backed millipede which means there body segments have wide lateral keels known as paranota. They glow a green/blue fluorescent color under UV light due to a chemical in their exoskeleton.


Emperor or Lobster-Claw Scorpion - Pandinus imperator

The Emperor Scorpion is the largest (not the longest) of the scorpions that range in color from dark blue/green to black. They have sensory hairs on the pincers and tail to help them detect prey through air and ground vibrations which is needed since they have poor eye sight. They eat insects, other arachnids, small rodents and lizards. Scorpions can glow a green/blue color under a UV light (black light) or natural moonlight which comes from a substance in the hyaline layer which is part of the exoskeleton called the cuticle.  It is not fully understood why they do this.


Striped Bark Scorpion - Centuroides vittatus

The Striped Bark Scorpion is the most common scorpion in the United States and found in the crevices of rocky areas, forests and human structures. They will climb and can be found in the attic of homes. It can inflict a painful sting but the venom is not as potent as other scorpions. It can grow up to around 3 inches in length.


Whip Scorpion - Mastigoproctus giganteus

The only whip scorpion found in the United States is also known as vinegaroon or grampus. They do not have the venom stinger found in most scorpions or the venom bite found in most spiders, but they have a long, thin caudal appendage which gives them the name, whip scorpion. The name, vinegaroon, comes from their ability to spray acetic acid from base of whip like tail. They can be found in grasslands, pine forests, scrub and barrier islands.

After starting video, click at lower right to enlarge it


Tailless Whip Scorpion - Damon diadema

Tailless Whip Scorpion, from east coast of Africa, live near cave entrances in large groups. They can grow through-out their life but molt more at a younger age. After molting they will have a white appearance and quickly turn a greenish color after a few hours. It is during these times when they are highly vulnerable. After a few days they return to their normal appearance and lifestyle. 


Madagascar Hissing Cockroach - Gromphadorhina portentosa

One of the largest species or roaches, the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach is found on the forest floors of Madagascar. They do not have wings but are able to climb smooth surfaces due to pads and hooks on their feet. The males have large bumps behind their head which are smaller on the female. These are known as pronatal humps.


Large or Greater Milkweed Bug - Oncopeltus fasciatus

The Large or Greater Milkweed Bug is found through-out the United States in fields with milkweed or dogbane and feed off the seeds, stems and leaves of the milkweed. The adult males have a black band on the ventral side of the fourth abdominal segment and the adult female has two black spots in that location


Eastern Subterranean Termite - Reticulitermes flavipes

The Eastern Subterranean Termite is the most common termite in North America and considered a pest due to the amount of wood it destroys. A colony can range from 20,000 to 5 million workers which can cause an economical disaster. Termites use pheromones to communicate with each other. A chemical in ink mimics these pheromones. The termites are attracted to the pheromones and start to follow the ink trail but what they are actually doing is following the “false” pheromones trail.

After starting video, click at lower right to enlarge it


Flesh Fly - Sarcophaga bullata

We tend to think of flies as an insect with no purpose and the planet would be better without them. Flies do eat decaying matter and use it to lay their eggs. But flies are also food for other animals. The Flesh Fly has been used in forensic entomology as the maggots in decaying bodies can be used to determine time of death of a person.