Little brown myotis
The Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-eared bats, including the Indiana bat, Northern long-eared bat, and Arizona myotis, to which it is closely related. Despite its name, the Little brown bat is not closely related to the Big brown bat, which belongs to a different genus.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TorporTorpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withThe Little brown bat has small ears that do not reach the nose when pointing forward. The animal has a blunt, medium-high tragus. The hind feet are large, covered with hairs, extending past the toes. Meanwhile, the front and hind limbs have 5 metapodials. The glossy fur of the animal generally ranges in color from dark brown, golden brown, and reddish to olive-brown. However, there have also been known albino individuals among this species. The ventral side of the little brown bat is lighter. The animal has dark brown or black, almost hairless wings and interfemoral membranes. Males are smaller than females, which is most prominent during the winter months.
Little brown bats live throughout much of North America. In the north, their range extends as far west as Alaska and across much of Canada to Labrador. In the south, their range extends to Southern California and across the northern parts of Arizona and New Mexico. They usually occur in forests, living along lakes and rivers. Little brown bats use buildings, where they gather into nursery colonies. During the winter months, the animals hibernate, usually in caves or mines.
Little brown bats are nocturnal. They typically enter torpor by day, appearing from their roosts at dusk. While at roosts, the bats are not territorial, living in large colonies of up to 300,000 individuals in one roost. These animals have two peak periods of activity: one takes place approximately 2-3 hours after dusk and the other occurs before dawn. They generally come back to their roosts at around 4-5 o'clock in the morning. During the winter months, they undergo hibernation, which varies in time, depending on the location and altitude of a given roost. Usually, they enter hibernation between September and November, coming out between March and May. Meanwhile, young bats enter hibernation quite late, since they need to store fat, which will help them survive during the winter. In addition, pups do not travel long distances to hibernation roosts. Little brown bats produce calls that are high-intensity frequency modulated (FM) that last from less than one millisecond (ms) to about 5 ms and have a sweep rate of 80-40 kHz, with most of their energy at 45 kHz. They emit approximately 20 calls per second when in flight.
The Little brown bats are insectivores, they feed upon a wide variety of insects, including hoppers, mosquitoes, midges, caddisflies, moths, small beetles, and, occasionally, spiders.
Little brown bats have polygynandrous mating system. They have two phases of mating, during which males mate with a number of females; the active phase, when both mates are awake and alert, and the passive phase, when active males mate with torpid bats of both sexes. They mate between September and October, while fertilization takes place in spring. After 50-60 days of gestation, the female yields a single pup. The female is able to distinguish its offspring from other pups due to identifying call and odor. The baby is nursed by its mother, feeding exclusively upon maternal milk for the first 18-21 days and being weaned at the age of 3 weeks. Then, at about 4 weeks old, the pup begins to fly, becoming independent. Female bats first give birth within the first or second year of their lives.
Little brown bats are threatened by the loss and fragmentation of their natural habitat as a result of deforestation. Presently, the animals suffer from a fungal disease known as “white-nose syndrome". The cold and humid environment of their hibernacula provides ideal conditions for fungus growth, which occasionally invades the bodies of hibernating bats, leading to debilitation and high numbers (up to 90%) of mortality. The animals are also exposed to human disturbance. Other notable concerns include the use of pesticides and the use of cyanide in mining.
The Little brown bat is widespread across its range, but the overall number of their population is currently unknown. On the IUCN Red List, the Little brown bat is classified as Least Concern (LC) with a stable population trend.
Little brown bats play a significant role in the local ecosystem, controlling populations of insects.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...