Indiana Bat

Myotis sodalis

no photo — written note
photo: Wikimedia Commons
AnimalsSensitive species

The state's namesake bat, hibernating in a handful of caves and raising young under loose bark.

Field facts
HabitatCaves in winter; riparian and upland forest in summer
RangeSouthern caves; summer roosts statewide
When to lookSummer roosting April to September
StatusFederally endangered (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesLittle brown bat — nearly identical in flight

Field note: Most of the world's Indiana bats winter in only a few caves.

Lesson
Watching responsibly

Never enter a hibernation cave. Disturbance in winter can kill a whole colony.

Never handle a bat. Report grounded bats to DNR.

This species is treated as sensitive: locations are generalised to county level and never routed to directly.

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