Indiana Bat

Habitat: Mature forests, riparian corridors, floodplain forests, and wooded landscapes. During summer, Indiana Bats roost beneath loose bark and within cracks and crevices of dead or dying trees. In winter, they hibernate in caves and mines with stable temperatures and humidity.

Diet: Moths, beetles, flies, caddisflies, mayflies, and other flying insects captured along forest edges, river corridors, and beneath the forest canopy.

Maternity Colony Size: Typically 50–100 females, though larger colonies can occur in high-quality habitat.

Hibernation Colony Size: Hundreds to tens of thousands of individuals. Large portions of the population may concentrate in only a few important hibernation sites.

Species Notes:
The Indiana Bat is a federally endangered species and one of the Northeast's most conservation-dependent bats. During summer, it forages for insects along forest edges, streams, and beneath the forest canopy, often hunting near the tops of trees where insect activity is abundant.

Female Indiana Bats form maternity colonies beneath loose bark and within crevices of dead and dying trees, where they gather to give birth and raise their young. The species relies heavily on large trees and intact forest habitat throughout its summer range.

During winter, Indiana Bats hibernate in caves and abandoned mines. They are particularly sensitive to disturbances during hibernation, as repeated arousals can deplete the fat reserves needed to survive the winter. Historically, human disturbance of hibernation sites contributed to population declines, and more recently, White-nose Syndrome has caused substantial mortality across much of the species' range.

In New York State, approximately half of the known Indiana Bat population hibernates within a single abandoned mine, highlighting the importance of protecting critical hibernation habitat. Because such a large portion of the population is concentrated in relatively few locations, the species remains especially vulnerable to environmental changes and disease.

Adults typically weigh about a quarter of an ounce, have a body length of approximately 2 inches, and a wingspan of around 10 inches.