ENDANGERED BATS IN THE CUMBERLAND AND TENNESSEE RIVER WATERSHEDS

The Cumberland and Tennessee River Watersheds are among the most abundantly biodiverse regions in the Western Hemisphere. All of these different animals and plants mean we have a lot more endangered species than most places. 

Bats are important to humans and the earth even though they are scary. Bats eat a lot of mosquitoes and other insects and are crucial to the food chain. Some species are also important to pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. Finally, by researching bats, humans can learn so much about medicine, human health, aerodynamics, sonar, navigation, and more!

We have four species of endangered bats. Some of these species of bats fly across the country to our area to hibernate in caves for the winter. Our region has a lot of karst topography, or limestone, which creates a lot of caves!

The four endangered bats in in our area are:

Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)

This is the endangered bat we are most likely to encounter in our area because they don’t live in caves. White nose syndrome has killed an estimated one million Little brown bats since the disease was discovered in 2006. The little brown bat is also susceptible to the rabies virus, which makes humans scared of them. Humans will even exterminate these endangered species if they move into buildings and homes. It is a felony to kill or harm an endangered species. Experts estimate these bats can eat more than 100 mosquitoes in an hour.

More is known about these bats than the other three.

Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis)

The Northern long-eared bat was listed as endangered in 2022. This bat spends winters inside caves and the rest of the year in forests. White-nose syndrome, is a deadly disease that is killing this species and could make it go extinct. Unfortunately, there is no cure or solution to white nose syndrome, which has gotten worse since it was discovered in 2006. Humans staying away from bats and their cave habitats is one solution for reducing this environmental disaster.

Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis)

Indiana bats live in forests that contain hardwood trees. They are endangered because of pesticides and habitat destruction. They are an insectivore that eats a lot of mosquitoes. Indiana bats have pink lips, otherwise they look a lot like Little brown bats

Gray bat (Myotis grisescens)

Gray bats are making a comeback after their population started declining in the 1980s and 1990s. Gray bats also live only in caves, unlike more common bats that can live in barns or other structures. The largest, and most vulnerable population of Gray bats live in two caves near Guntersville, Alabama on the Tennessee River. It is estimated that 250,000 bats live in these two caves or 7.5% of their entire population!