FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The spotted bat Euderma maculatum is one of the more recognizable bat species in North America with their large pink ears and white spots on their back. They are predominantly found in the western United States, British Columbia, and parts of Mexico. Racoons, skunks, and owls are some of the spotted bat’s natural predators.
While they don’t face any major threats from humans, the use of pesticides, overgrazing, and construction of dams could potentially harm them in their habitat range. Initially thought to be rare and endangered, recent studies have confirmed the spotted bat’s abundance. Although the exact population size remains unknown, it is believed to exceed 10,000. It is not easy to spot spotted bats because they are high fliers and their roost sites are not easily accessible. As a result, there is little information available about the population distribution of the spotted bat. Like other major bat species, they use echolocation to communicate and catch their prey. But unlike other bat species, their calls can be heard by humans. Knowledge about the spotted bats may be scarce, but they are an important part of our ecosystems and they need to be preserved.
Read on for more facts about the spotted bat euderma maculatum.
For more relatable content, check out these hoary bat facts and red bat facts for kids.
The spotted bat or Euderma maculatum is a species of bat belonging to the Vespertilionidae family. They are a family of widely distributed microbats.
The spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) species belongs to the Mammalia class and Vespertilionidae family.
Initially, the spotted bat was thought to be an extremely rare species. Now, they are known to exist in a large area. While the exact size of their population is unclear because of their patchy distribution, it is estimated to be over 10,000. In Canada, the population of the spotted bat is estimated to be less than 1000. The lack of clarity in the numbers is primarily due to their choice of habitat and roosting in crevices of tall cliffs.
Spotted bats are widely distributed throughout western North America range. They are predominantly found in the rock range of southern British Columbia, the western United States, and parts of Mexico. In British Columbia, they are primarily present in the valleys of Okanagan, Similkameen, Chilcotin, Fraser, and Thompson. In the United States, places like California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Texas, and Washington have all reported the existence of spotted bats.
Spotted bats lives in diverse habitats from arid desert to marshlands to open forests and rock cliffs. They tend to prefer large open habitats for foraging because of the low frequency of their echolocation. They often live near rugged rock landscapes with canyons and vertical cliffs and some water sources such as lakes or springs. Spotted bats roost in crevices and cracks in tall, vertical cliff faces that sometimes reach 3000 m (9842 ft) above sea level. These places are also used for rearing their young.
The spotted bat euderma maculatum is generally known for roosting and hunting alone or in small groups. Although the social structure of this bat species is unknown, they are not considered to be social. Unlike other bats, they do not have large hibernating colonies in the desert.
While the life span of spotted bat euderma maculatum is unknown, it is estimated to be around 20 years in wildlife. They roost alone usually.
Female spotted bats give birth to one offspring each year. It is believed that these bats mate in spring and give birth in June or July during peak insect activity. The newborn does not have the distinctive spots nor the large ears of the adults. The exact age of sexual maturity for a female spotted bat in wildlife is not known.
The spotted bat has been given the conservation status of “Least Concern” by the IUCN. But in Canada, they were designated as “Vulnerable” conservation status by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Currently, their habitats do not face any major threats due to human intervention.
The spotted bat euderma maculatum body measures in the range of 4.5 -5 in (12-13 cm) and weighs 0.5-0.7 oz (16-20g). They have large pink ears and large white spots on their body with black fur.
While bats are generally depicted to be scary and disgusting creatures, the spotted bat with their large pink ears can be considered to be cute. The large white spots on their black fur also make them quite recognizable.
Spotted bats communicate mainly through echolocation. They emit low frequencies in the 9-12 kHz range to call each other. They are also one of the few bat species whose calls can be heard by humans. They are known for roosting alone or in small groups.
The spotted bat is a large bat that can reach up to 4.5 in (12 cm). Their wingspan is generally 14 in (35.56 cm)long, and their huge ears are about 1.5 in (4 cm) long.
The exact speed of a spotted bat is not known. But bats are generally fast creatures that can sometimes reach up to 100mph.
A fully grown adult weighs around 0.5-0.7 oz (16-20 g). A newborn baby usually weighs twenty percent of that.
The male and female species do not have separate names.
Baby bats are generally called pups.
Spotted bats are insectivores, and they are known for foraging and catching their prey using echolocation. Their diet mainly consists of moths, flies, and beetles. With moths, they eat only the abdomen portion after foraging. Owls, raccoons, and skunks are some of the spotted bats natural predators.
Most bats tend to avoid humans and are not aggressive towards them on purpose. They are considered to be gentle animals.
No, spotted bats are not considered to be good pets. They do not survive well in home environments. They need large open spaces to thrive.
When the Spotted Bat is resting, its ears are rolled up around its head. And the ears get inflated with blood and unroll when they become active again.
The spotted bats are named so because of the three distinctive white spots they have on each shoulder and on the back.
Although the spotted bats are rarely sighted, they play an essential role in maintaining the ecosystem of North America. They are insectivores and they consume moths, flies, etc. which helps farmers reduce the usage of pesticides.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these rice rat facts and Arctic fox facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable spotted bat coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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