While in Baltimore recently, I saw bats in the trees. I wanted to find out what species of bats live in Maryland, so I did some research.
Ten species of bats live in Maryland. These include the big brown bat, Eastern red bat, Eastern small-footed bat, evening bat, hoary bat, Indiana bat, little brown bat, northern long-eared bat, and the tri-colored bat.
If you want to know more about which bats live in Maryland, I have put some information below that you may find helpful.
Which Species Of Bats Live In Maryland?
There are ten species of bats in Maryland, which can be broken down into two categories: tree bats and cave bats.
Tree bats will migrate to hotter climates in the winter or find warmer places to stay in Maryland, such as under bark, leaf litter, or trees. There are four species of tree bat living in Maryland. These are the Eastern red, evening, hoary, and silver-haired bats.
Cave bats will hibernate either in tunnels or caves. There are six species of cave bats in Maryland. These are the big brown bat, Eastern small-footed bat, Indiana bat, little brown bat, northern long-eared bat, and the tri-colored bat.
All wild bats found in Maryland are Microchiroptera, also known as microbats. They feed on insects such as moths and mosquitos. Without bats, it is estimated that over 3 billion dollars in pest control would be required.
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Big Brown Bat
The big brown bat is an insectivore that eats mostly beetles but consumes other flying insects like moths, flies, and wasps.
They live in all types of habitats, ranging from 18 to 20 years. This animal carries a lot of diseases, including rabies and parasites such as tapeworms and fleas.
The big brown bat is a small, nocturnal flying mammal. They live in colonies and use echolocation to locate objects while flying at night. The color varies from brown to black.
They measure from 11 to 13 cm, with a wingspan from 32 to 40 cm, weighing 15 to 26 g.
The species of bats live in North America and the Caribbean.
Eastern Red Bat
The Eastern red bat is found across North America and is a microbat species. They measure 109 mm (4.3 in) with a weight of just 7 to 13.
They have long pointed wings with short ears and a long tail.
Eastern red bats are very maneuverable and can fly quickly with speeds up to 50 km p/h. They do not hibernate, staying in the same regions all year. They enter a state of torpor in hollow trees or leaf litter to shelter.
They are prioritized as least concern by the IUCN. Eastern red bats can be seen in the early evening either around the edges of forests and woods or flying around street lights.
Eastern Small-footed Bat
The Eastern small-footed bat is a nocturnal mammal found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Their face, ears, and wings are black, and the rest of the body is grayish brown. They measure from 6.5 to 9.5 cm, with a wingspan ranging from 21 to 25 cm, and weigh from 4 to 8 g.
The Eastern small-footed bat is an insectivore eating beetles, moths, mosquitoes, and flies.
They live in forests with caves and rock formations adequate for roosting. Their lifespan is 6 to 12 years in the wild, hibernating in winter.
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Evening Bat
The evening bat is a species of vesper bat native to North America. They typically inhabit much of the midwestern and eastern regions of the United States.
They are small-sized bats, weighing approximately 7-15 grams, with forearms spanning from 34 to 38 mm.
The tip of their dorsal hair is light gray, with a brown pelage. The evening bat has robust jaws compared to other insectivorous bats.
The average lifespan is less than four years, which may explain the higher reproductive output than other bats that live longer.
Hoary Bat
The hoary bat is a nocturnal vesper bat found in some of the U.S. and Hawaii, where they are native mammals.
They use echolocation for flying at night and for finding food. Their color is dark brown, but the hairs have a white tip.
They measure from 13 to 15 cm, with a wingspan measuring 40 cm and a weight of just 20 to 35 g. The hoary bat is the largest species in Canada.
This bat is an insectivore that eats moths and insects like beetles, crickets, flies, and bugs. Some of the insects it hunts are considered pests.
The hoary bat can usually be seen alone in trees along the borders of forests. You can also see them over lakes, other open areas, and coniferous forests. Hoary bats do not like to fly until it is dark.
Indiana Bat
The Indiana Bat is a midsize, social species of bat found in the eastern part of the United States.
Their colors vary from dark brown to black. The Indiana bat measures from 4.1 to 4.9 cm and weighs about 7g.
The Indiana bat is an insectivore and eats flies, moths, bees, wasps, midges, ants, mosquitoes, and beetles. They live in wooded areas, where they can be found roosting in trees.
During the winter, the Indiana bat hangs from ceilings clustered in groups to hibernate.
Their lifespan is about 14 years, and they are considered endangered.
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Little Brown Myotis
The little brown bat is a small North American bat. Their colors vary from light tan to dark brown, with a lighter color on their underbody.
The little brown bat measures 8 to 9.5 cm and weighs 5.5 to 12.5g.
This insectivore eats mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. The little brown bats live in most of North America.
They will find places to roost during the day, such as trees, caves, and rocks. In winter, this bat hibernates in caves. Their lifespan is from 6 to 7 years.
Northern Long-eared Bat
The Northern long-eared myotis is a species of bat. They use echolocation to navigate while flying.
Their color varies from yellowish light brown to black, and they measure about 8.6 cm and weigh from 5 to 8 g.
This insectivore eats mostly moths, beetles, flies, and leafhoppers. They live in boreal forests (taiga) in the eastern, central part of North America. Their lifespan is about 18.5 years.
They are an endangered species due to a sickness that is killing the species.
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Silver-haired Bat
The silver-haired bat is a nocturnal, solitary mammal from the central part of North America. They use echolocation when flying to guide them and to find food.
Their color is typically black but sometimes dark brown, with gray tips to their fur.
They measure about 10 cm and weigh from 8 to 12 g. This insectivore eats flies, leafhoppers, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, bugs, and ants, which they find in forest habitats.
Their average lifespan is 12 years, and they migrate to warmer climates in winter.
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Tri-colored Bat
The tri-colored bat is a small, nocturnal bat found in eastern North America and Central America. They are one of the native North American mammals.
Their colors range from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. They measure from 30 to 35 mm and weigh 4 to 10 g.
The tri-colored bat is an insectivore eating moths, midges, flies, beetles, mosquitoes, and ants. They live in semi-open places with large trees in forests, grasslands, and urban and suburban areas.
Their lifespan is 4 to 8 years in the wild. It is possible that they could become an endangered species shortly.
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Bryan Harding is a member of the American Society of Mammalogists and a member of the American Birding Association. Bryan is especially fond of mammals and has studied and worked with them around the world. Bryan serves as owner, writer, and publisher of North American Nature.