Winter Update
Winter in Canada can mean something different for each of our 19 bat species. Some bats, such as the Fringed Bat, Long-legged Myotis and Eastern Red Bat, migrate to warmer climates. Others, such as the Keen’s Myotis, Eastern Small-footed Bat and Big Brown Bat, find a warm hibernaculum in which to overwinter.
For Canada’s most at-risk bats — the Little Brown Bat, Tri-colored Bat and Northern Long-eared Bat — winter can be the most dangerous time of year. These species hibernate in caves where conditions are perfect for the spread of the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome. The fungus dehydrates the bats, causing them to wake from their hibernation, which almost certainly means death for these little mammals.
Once the cold weather arrives, bats also risk being kicked out of a warm home. If homeowners still have bats at this time of year, the bats are likely overwintering. Evicting them now will not give them enough time to find an alternate hibernation site, and they will freeze. The same is true in the middle of winter; bats will sometimes rouse on warmer winter days to seek water or food. If they happen to leave through a one-way door, they’ll be stuck out in the cold.
Here are a few quick tips should you encounter a bat in your home during winter:
- If a family member or pet has come into contact with a bat, or you suspect they have, contact a medical professional.
- Wearing gloves, wait until the bat lands and then capture it by placing a container over it. Next, slide a piece of cardboard underneath the container to act as a cover. Ensure there is sufficient airflow before placing the container in a box and transporting the bat to your nearest wildlife rehabilitation center.
- If you are uncomfortable catching the bat yourself, contact a wildlife control company, but first ensure they do not intend to kill the bat or release it outside. Have them take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center or leave it with you to transport to a center.
DID YOU KNOW?
In one night, a single bat can eat up to its own body weight in insects! That includes mosquitoes!
Should You be Afraid of Bats?
Like any wildlife species, bats can carry diseases that are equally harmful to both them and humans; rabies comes to mind and is very serious. However, contracting rabies from a bat is extremely rare in Canada. Of course, it’s better to be safe and be aware of risk.
Also like all wildlife, bats are best observed from a safe distance. People should consult a medical professional immediately after any known or suspected contact with a bat or other wild animal. Learn more about bats, humans and rabies.
Background on Bats
Although we may not always see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night – eating thousands of mosquitos and other insects, which helps all of us by providing millions of dollars’ worth in pest control. Bats are in trouble. A disease known as White-nosed Syndrome has wiped out millions of bats in North America. Habitat loss, pesticide use and evictions from roost sites produce an added threat to already stressed populations.
Millions of bats have died in Canada over the past 10 years.
They may not recover without our help.
~James Pagé, CWF Species at Risk & Biodiversity Specialist
Building a Better Bat Box – CWF Research Project
Based on analyses using information from more than 1,500 bat boxes across Canada we are now able to answer the question of what makes an ideal bat house? Here are the highlights of what we found (Learn more about this study >):
1: Patience
Older bat houses are more likely to become occupied.
2: Mitigation
Install a bat house if evicting bats from a building – it's likely to be used.
3: Quantity
Install more than one bat house – bats are more likely to use a network of houses, than just one.
4: Location, Location
Placement is key. Bat houses installed on buildings — ideally three metres from the ground — are most successful.
5: Sun Matters
Sun matters more than colour: dark boxes placed in full sun can reach lethal temperatures. Multiple boxes with a mix of sun and shade are ideal.
6: Size Matters
Larger boxes with at least three chambers are most successful.
7: Fresh Air
Vents on the front and sides reduce the chance of lethal overheating inside the bat house.
Funding for this project was provided
by the Government of Ontario.
Videos
By The Numbers
$30M
Bats save the Canadian agricultural industry millions each year.
1
Most Canadian bats give birth to only one pup per year and thus have a very slow population growth.
10M
WNS has killed upwards of ten million bats across eastern North America. The fungus that causes WNS is now found in every province.
Facts: Little Brown Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis lucifugus
DESCRIPTION: Like its name, this species of bat is only six to 10 centimetres in length and has a wingspan of 22 to 27 cm. It is brown in colour.
HABITAT: It hibernates in dead trees, cliffs, mines, caves and buildings.
RANGE: Across Canada
Facts: Big Brown Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Eptesicus fuscus
DESCRIPTION: This species is 11 to 13 centimetres in length and has a wingspan of 32 to 40 cm. Its colour varies from tan to dark brown.
HABITAT: It hibernates in caves, mines and buildings.
RANGE: Most of southern Canada
Facts: California Myotis
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis californicus
DESCRIPTION: This species is seven to 10 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 22 to 26 cm. Its colour varies from reddish-brown to dark brown.
HABITAT: It hibernates in buildings, mines, caves and dead trees.
RANGE: British Columbia
Facts: Tricoloured Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Perimyotis subflavus
DESCRIPTION: This species is seven to nine centimetres in length with a wingspan of 21 to 26 cm. The colouration of each hair is black at the root, then yellow, with brown tips.
HABITAT: It roosts in buildings and large trees.
RANGE: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Facts: Eastern Small-footed Myotis
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis leibii
DESCRIPTION: This species is seven to nine centimetres in length with a wingspan of 21 to 25 cm. It is golden-brown in colour.
HABITAT: It hibernates in hilly, mountainous areas, deciduous or evergreen forests and open farmlands.
RANGE: Southeastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec
Facts: Fringed Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis thysanodes
DESCRIPTION: This species is eight to 10 cm in length with a wingspan of 27 to 32 cm. Named after its stiff or ‘fringed’ hair, it is pale brown, with dark brown ears.
HABITAT: When it is not migrating, it typically roost in mines, cliffs, forested areas and buildings.
RANGE: British Columbia
Facts: Hoary Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lasiurus cinereus
DESCRIPTION: It is the largest bat known to Canada with a length of 13 to 15 centimetres and a wingspan of 36 to 41 cm. Its colouration is black with brown-grey fur and frosted white tips on its back and tail, and a yellow head and throat.
HABITAT: When not migrating, it can be found in coniferous forests.
RANGE: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Northwest Territories.
Facts: Keen's Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis keenii
DESCRIPTION: Its wingspan is 21 to 26 centimetres wide and it is seven to nine cm in length. It has silky brown fur.
HABITAT: It hibernates in dead trees, caves, mines and buildings.
RANGE: British Columbia
Facts: Western Long-eared Myotis
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis evotis
DESCRIPTION: It is eight to 10 centimetres in length and has a wingspan of 25 to 30 cm. It is pale brown in colour with a black face and ears.
HABITAT: It can be found in mines, buildings, cliffs, dead trees and stumps, although may migrate short distances in preparation for the winter months.
RANGE: British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan
Facts: Long-legged Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis volans
DESCRIPTION: It is eight to 10 centimetres in length and a wingspan of 22 to 30 cm. It is typically dark brown in colour.
HABITAT: When it isn’t migrating short distances, it can be found in mines, caves, and dead trees.
RANGE: British Columbia and Alberta
Facts: Northern Long-eared Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis septentrionalis
DESCRIPTION:: It is seven to 10 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 22 to 27 cm. It has large black ears and a yellow-brown body.
HABITAT: It roosts in forests and buildings.
RANGE: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick
Facts: Pallid Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Antrozous pallidus
DESCRIPTION:: It is six to nine centimetres in length and a wingspan of 35 to 41 cm. It has a pale stomach, brown back, grey wings and a snout-like nose.
HABITAT: When not hibernation, it can be found in cliffs, buildings, and bottoms of valleys at low elevations.
RANGE: Okanagan Valley of British Columbia
Facts: Eastern Red Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lasiurus borealis
DESCRIPTION:: It is nine to 12 centimetres in length and has a wingspan of 28 to 33 cm. It is multi-coloured with yellow-red-orange and yellow-greyish.
HABITAT: When it isn’t migrating to warmer regions in the winter, it can be found in deciduous forests.
RANGE: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Facts: Silver-haired Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lasionycteris noctivagans
DESCRIPTION:: Its length ranges from nine to 11 centimetres and has a wingspan 27 to 31 cm. It is black/dark brown in colour.
HABITAT: It is a migratory species and roosts in mines, caves and dead trees.
RANGE: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Facts: Spotted Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Euderma maculatum
DESCRIPTION:: It has a length of 11 to 12 centimetres and a wingspan of 34 to 38 cm. It can easily be identified by its three white spots on its black back and has the largest ears of any bat species in North America.
HABITAT: It occasionally migrates, roosting in cliffs and hillsides.
RANGE: British Columbia
Facts: Townsends Big-eared Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Corynorhinus townsendii
DESCRIPTION:: This species has a length of 10 centimetres and a wingspan of 29 to 34 cm. It is pale brown/black-grey in colour with two visible glandular swellings on its nose.
HABITAT: It can be found hibernating in mines, caves, buildings and cliffs.
RANGE: British Columbia
Facts: Western Small-footed Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis ciliolabrum
DESCRIPTION:: It is eight to 10 centimetres in length and has a wingspan of 21 to 25 cm. It is yellow-brown in colour with a black face.
HABITAT: It migrates through the winter season. It can be found in cliffs and mines.
RANGE: British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan
Facts: Yuma Myotis
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Myotis yumanensis
DESCRIPTION:: Its length is eight to 10 cm and has a wingspan of 22 to 26 cm. It varies in colour from dark brown to tan/grey.
HABITAT: It can be found hibernating in buildings, dead trees and mines.
RANGE: British Columbia
Facts: Brazilian, or Mexican, Free-tailed Bat
COSEWIC STATUS: NA — SC — TH — EN — XT
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Tadarida brasiliensis
DESCRIPTION:: This species is eight to 10 centimetres in length and have a wingspan of 28 cm. It is brown in colour with large square ears, a wrinkled upper lip and a prominent tail.
HABITAT: It can be found in woodlands, caves, bridges and buildings.
RANGE: Salt Spring Island of British Columbia
The Canadian Wildlife Federation’s
Role in Bat Conservation
At CWF, our critical work on addressing threats beyond White-nose Syndrome will help conserve the bats that do survive the disease. We are still conducting the largest Canada-specific study into the effectiveness of bat house designs, investigating the threat of eviction from homes and by creating bat habitat and raising public awareness.
As a means to promote the protection and recovery of the Little Brown Bat, CWF is also engaging homeowners and humane wildlife control companies for better management and coexistence with bats by:
- Incorporating the use of bat houses
in wildlife control service protocol - Promoting cohabitation with bats
- Promoting alternative roosting sites via retrofits
- Offering and installing hundreds of bat houses as roost sites
- Increasing public awareness, community engagement, and citizen science
- Scientifically investigating the impacts of bat eviction and the effectiveness of bat houses
How Neonicotinoid Pesticides May Be Harming Bats
There are over 1,300 bat species worldwide, 19 of which call Canada home. Our bats are incredibly important, not only to the environment but to the economy too. When the sun goes down, bats get to work eating the annoying pests in our backyards. They’re also extremely beneficial to the agricultural industry. In fact, bats save the agricultural industry in North America $3.7 billion every year.
How to Help
Support Bat
Conservation In
Canada
Help the Bats is the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s response to ensure Canadian bat populations are protected.
Adopt a Bat!
Your gift will help fund CWF efforts to address the threat to the Little Brown Bat from White-nose syndrome.
Build Your
Own Bat
House
Provide a roosting site for a female bat and her pup! The Canadian Wildlife Federation is here to guide you through every step. Begin by downloading these free DIY instructions.
Bat Sighting!
Use iNaturalist.ca or contribute to our study
Out camping? Hanging out on your patio? Log any bat sightings using iNaturalist.ca, our Citizen Science app. If you have an bat house, contribute to our national study .
Get Social for Bats!
Share information on the work CWF is doing and let people know the risk bats are facing from White-nose Syndrome. ! Spread the word about HelpTheBats.ca on your favourite social media channel.
You Can Always Help
by Adopting a Bat!
Sign Up for Timely
Articles and Tips
Learn more about Canada's bats, more species at risk and biodiversity.
