Bats get a lot of attention during the Halloween season. Maybe it is due to their nighttime activity or that there really are vampire bats, but bats seem to give people a bad case of the “heebie-jeebies.” At any rate, it is time to be more appreciative of these much maligned and misunderstood animals.
Although most North Dakotans pay scant attention to bats, there are around ten or so species that may be observed in the state. Most are migratory, but a couple species are permanent residents. When it comes to roosting (or perhaps hibernating) they may utilize hollow cavities or behind loose bark of dead or dying trees, rock crevices and small caves such as in the badlands, as well as buildings.
It might come as a surprise, but bats are an important component of some ecosystems and provide several ecological services. For example, they are important pollinators of some plants including cacti (e.g., saguaro), agaves, and bananas. They are also important in seed dispersal of some plants. And of course, they are well known for their consumption of insects. I have seen estimates that a bat may consume up to 1,000 or more mosquitoes an hour. They also consume many agricultural insect pests. The consumption of agricultural insect pests may save American farmers over $3 billion annually.
Bat populations are on the decline due to a variety of factors including a low reproductive rate and habitat destruction. Perhaps the most widely known factor is white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease first documented in the U.S. in 2007. It has been estimated to have killed 6 million or more bats in the U.S. As such, it has had a major impact bat populations as well as some communities (e.g., forests) and agricultural insect pest populations.
And there is an interesting twist with bats in the state. A recent study conducted in North Dakota found that bats were associated with forests and water, such as wooded areas along rivers and streams as well as the Turtle Mountain area and Pembina Hills and other areas with wetlands and woodlands. So, the protection of these habitats is important for bat populations, communities, and the ecological services they provide.
