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Oklahoma Bats

. . . Coming Out of the Dark

GIF - Cover Picture of Bat

Wildlife Diversity Program
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405)521-4616

Introduction

Bats are the only flying mammals. The bones in a bat's wing are the same as those of the human arm and hand, but a bat's finger bones are elongated and support a tough, elastic membrane.

Although bats have relatively good eyesight, they depend on a well-developed echolocation system, similar to sonar. Bats emit pulses of very high frequency sound, which are not audible to human ears, at a rate of a few to more than 500 per second! By listening to the echoes that reflect back to them, they are able to maneuver around objects in their path and capture tiny flying insects.

All bats in Oklahoma feed on insects such as moths, mosquitoes, cucumber and June beetles, leaflhoppers and even scorpions, to name just a few. In fact, bats are the only major predator of these night-flying insects. Some bats can consume more than 3,000 mosquitoes each night!

Bats generally mate in fall and delay fertilization until spring, when the female usually gives birth to one offspring. Red bats, however, may produce twins or quadruplets. Young bats develop rapidly and most are able to fly about two to five weeks after birth.

This resource is based on the following source: 
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.  No Date.  Oklahoma bats...Coming
     out of the dark.  Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma 
     City, OK.
This resource should be cited as: 
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.  No Date.  Oklahoma bats...Coming
     out of the dark.  Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma 
     City, OK.  Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. 
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/okbats/okbats.htm
     (Version 16JUL97).

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