Little Brown Bat
- Scientific Name: Myotis lucifugus
- Weight:7-14 grams
- Distribution: Northward from Central Mexico, most of the United States, all of Southern Canada and much of Alaska.
- Ecology and Behavior: The little brown bat usually hibernates in caves and mines. During summer it often inhabits buildings, usually rather hot attics, where females form nursing colonies of hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Where most males spend the summer is unknown, but they likely are solitary and scattered in a variety of roost types. Colonies usually are close to a lake or stream. This species seems to prefer to forage over water, but also forages among trees in rather open areas. When foraging, it may repeat a set hunting pattern around houses or trees.
- Food Habits: It eats a variety of insects, including gnats, crane flies, beetles, wasps, and moths. Insects usually are captured with a wing tip, immediately transferred into a scoop formed by the forwardly curled tail and interfemoral membrane, and the grasped with the teeth.
- Reproduction: Most mating occurs in autumn, but may also occur at the site of
hibernation. Sperm are stored until spring, when fertilization occurs.
One young is born in May, June, or early July. When the mother is at
rest during the day, she keeps the baby beneath a wing. The lifespan of
the little brown bat may be more than 20 years. - Range:
The presence of species in particular counties is based on both summer and winter occurrence records compiled by the TNBWG, an unshaded county does not represent the absence of a particular species from that county, only the lack of an occurrence record. These maps are intended for educational and general information purposes only and are not intended for use in consultation with US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or any other state or federal agencies. Project proponents should contact USFWS and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for the most up to date ranges for bat species in Tennessee.
Range Map Data Sources
National bat ranges - Layer downloaded from nationalatlas.gov. The data were compiled by Bat Conservation International using data from state natural heritage programs, published literature, unpublished reports, museum collections, and personal communications from university, Federal, State, and local biologists.
TN county occurrence data - TWRA Scientific Collection Permit data compiled from 2000-2013, TWRA Wildlife Diversity database, published literature [Graves and Harvey 1974. (Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Sciences 49:106-109)], personal communications from university, Federal, State, local biologists, and TNBWG members.