Gray bat is a mammal of the southeastern United States known for the color of its fur. The fur is usually gray, but sometimes it can have a reddish tint. Gray bats measure 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 centimeters) long, with a wingspan of about 12 inches (30 centimeters). Adults weigh 1/4 to 1/2 ounce (7 to 16 grams).
In the summer, gray bats live in warm caves near lakes or rivers. They hunt at night using echolocation to detect prey in the dark. In echolocation, a bat uses echoes of sounds it makes to sense its surroundings, somewhat like a ship might use sonar to detect a submarine. Gray bats eat many types of flying insects, including beetles, flies, and moths. In late summer, gray bats migrate over 300 miles (500 kilometers) to cooler caves to hibernate . Few caves have suitable conditions. For this reason, 100,000 or more gray bats may occupy a single cave.
Female gray bats give birth to a single young in late May or early June. A newborn is quite large, over one-fourth of its mother’s weight. A young gray bat begins flying three to five weeks after birth. Gray bats can live up to 16 years in the wild.
The gray bat was named an endangered species in 1976. At the time, people exploring caves often caused young bats to fall. They also awakened hibernating bats, causing them to die. Most caves used by gray bats are now protected from human disturbance, and the numbers of gray bats have increased. However, white-nose syndrome was found in gray bats in 2012. White-nose syndrome is a disease caused by a fungus that infects hibernating bats. The disease has killed millions of bats of other species.
