The Little Brown Bat is found from Labrador west to central Alaska and south to the Appalachians in Georgia and Arkansas. Located in most states except Florida, Texas, and southern California. The little brown bat is found abundantly throughout New Hampshire. The little brown bat is a small mammal with a body length of 2 1/2 - 4" and weighing approximately 1/8 to 1/2 an ounce. The wingspan of little brown bats range from 9 - 11". Bats are the only mammals that engage in truly active flight. As their name suggests they are glossy brown above with a lighter gray color below.
Ten Facts about Little Brown Bat
- Capable of eating 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.
- The little brown bat has earned the reputation of being the best bug killer anywhere in the world.
- This species of bat is harmless to humans. In fact, the little brown bat uses echo-location to hunt and eat its body weight in insects per night, proving itself quite helpful for eliminating insect pests.
- Bats are mammals. The babies are born live and drink their mothers' milk.
- The female usually has one baby in May or June. The baby hangs on to its mother for a week or two even when she is flying about for insects.
- A mother can recognize her baby by its smell and its cry.
- A young bat starts to fly and catch its own food when it is about three weeks old.
- How can a bat fly at night? It sends out high squeaks that bounce back to it from things that are in its path. This is called echo-location. The little brown bat can see very well even in daylight.
- The little brown bat stores up fat and hibernates during the winter.
- They can live up to 33 years, males living longer on average, though the average lifespan is shorter since about 50% of little brown bats die in their first year.
