Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Big brown bats have an enormous range because they are able to withstand extreme conditions. They can be found as far north as Northern Canada and as far south as northern South America. They can survive is many different habitats including deserts, meadows, forests, and mountains as long as they are able to locate areas that are safe from them to hibernate. They are non-migratory and will roost and hibernate in areas like mines, caves, walls, and attics.
These bats reach a size of up to 6 inches long and are a brown or glossy copper color. They are insectivores that prefer to eat beetles, but they are not unwilling to feed on other flying insects they may come across like wasps, termites, and flying ants. They are also a prey item for animals like owls and other predators will eat pups who have fallen from their roosts.
They mate in the fall and winter and, like many bat species, the female stores the sperm until the spring. They birth their young in late May and June. Females form nursery colonies of between 20 and 300 animals and males will live in small groups. They are a bat species that is not considered to need protecting due to their stable population and expansive range.