Black cats, wolves, ravens, and bats have long been associated with the Halloween holiday, but how much do we really know about bats? We know that they are considered the only flying mammal, and that they have a very secretive nature; but off hand, most people know little else. People are only vaguely familiar with bats, namely the vampire bats native to South America that have been exploited in the vampire legends of old Europe. But, what about bats in the United States? Unfortunately because of their secretive nature and fondness for caves, the eastern small footed bat is considered in Pennsylvania as a threatened species, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering adding it to the endangered species list.

The eastern small footed bat is the smallest bat found in North America. It is only 2 ¾ - 3 ¾ inches long, and weighs only 4-8 grams. Its size is not its only distinguishing feature, this bat also has a black “mask” across its eyes and nose making it look like a bandit. It also has long, silky tan to golden brown fur, and, like other bat species, a flight membrane. The flight membrane is an extension of the skin of the back and belly that connect the body with the wings, legs, and tail.

This bat can be found throughout the northeastern United States, through the southern part of the Appalachians, Georgia, and eastern Oklahoma. They can also be found in isolated populations in Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky. Despite this extensive range, the eastern small footed bat is known as the rarest bat in North America.

Part of the reason they are so rare is because of their dwindling habitat. The eastern small footed bat prefers to live in the tops of tall buildings, towers, hollow trees, beneath loose bark on trees, cliff crevices, and beneath bridges. During the winter, the bats will hibernate in groups of 30 or more in caves or abandoned mine shafts. Unfortunately, the bat’s fondness for attics in houses has been the cause of many human/bat encounters, and made many people view bats as a pest that needs to be eradicated.

The bat’s status as a pest is actually contrary to their nature. If left to their own devices, and they had enough suitable habitat, bats could become an asset to humans. Most people would wonder how this “pest” could be in reality a good thing for the environment, but it’s true! Their positive impact on the environment can actually be traced to their eating habits.

The eastern small footed bat’s favorite food is flies, beetles, moths, and mosquitoes. If left alone without human disturbance, bats could really help control the mosquito population in the summer without humans being forced to alter the environmental balance further by spraying pesticides all over place.

The best example of how bats in general could have a positive effect on the environment are the cases of West Nile and malaria found in Virginia this year. When it was determined that these diseases were being spread primarily through mosquitoes, lawmakers in Virginia wasted no time (and completely overlooked the federal Clean Water Act) in acquiring mosquito killing pesticides, and spraying it throughout the state. Here’s where a healthy population of bats would have been helpful. Bats, especially the eastern small footed, can often be found foraging over water sources for insects, specifically water flies and mosquitoes. This would have been very advantageous in the northern parts of Virginia where there are many man made lakes, ponds, and reservoirs because this is where mosquitoes will breed.

Unfortunately, because of the loss of mature forests, and very few caves to be found, bats do not fully have the positive impact of insect regulation that they could have. Instead, we use pesticides which we do not fully understand the environmental impact of. With bats, they do not endanger the environment by eating. Pesticides on the other hand have proven time and again to have ill aftereffects on the environment.

Sustaining a healthy population of eastern small footed bats has proven to be difficult because of their reproductive process. Mating usually occurs in the late fall before hibernation, and the sperm lays dormant in the female until the start of spring when fertilization occurs, and only one baby bat is born in late May-July. This slow reproductive rate makes it difficult to increase the population with breeding programs because by the time we have any positive results, this species could be extinct in the wild.

Since increasing the population through breeding programs is not a viable option, the only other way to help this species is to conserve their habitat. Finding suitable habitat is not too difficult for the bats in the spring and summer; however, during hibernation season, they are more particular about their habitat, and sleeping for a couple of months during a year can prove to be disastrous. Pennsylvania state officials who have already declared this species threatened and at risk of extinction in the state, have put in legislation to protect the bat’s hibernacula (hibernation shelters) from development. They hope by doing this, they can sustain the current population without suffering any losses.

Without knowing much about bats, and faced with people’s ever growing dislike of them, scientists are really at a loss for what to do to help save the eastern small footed bat. To ensure survival, more education programs must be put into place to show people that bats are not a household pest, but serve a vital role in keeping the insect population in check. Perhaps just focusing on the fact that bats like to eat mosquitoes, a wildlife watcher’s enemy in the woods, could be enough to make people care enough to want to save these creatures.