Wisconsin Bats are mammals and warm blooded, just like us in Wisconsin. Wisconsin bats have fur, give birth to live young who feed on their mother’s milk, see quite well, and are generally shy and gentle. There are close to 1000 different kinds of bats – about 20 percent of all the mammal species in the world, but only a few Wisconsin bats. Wisconsin Bats are the only true flying mammals in the world, as they range in size of a bumblebee which lives in Thailand and weighs less than a penny, to flying foxes in Asia with nearly six-foot wingspans and weighs around two pounds. Wisconsin bats can be found throughout the world except for certain oceanic islands, the Arctic and Antarctic.
Wisconsin bats are mammals belonging to the species order Wisconsin Chiroptera, a name of Greek origin meaning “hand-wing,” which accurately describes the animal’s most unusual anatomical feature. Their Wisconsin wings are modified arms and hands with extremely long fingers. Stretching between these fingers on their Wisconsin arms, and also their hind legs and tail, are two very thin, tough, almost transparent layers of skin. The Wisconsin color of their fur can be gray, brown, black, white, reddish, yellow or brightly colored patterns. Bats are extremely clean animals. The Wisconsin bats groom themselves daily with their tongues, similar to cats.
There are two categories of Wisconsin bats: megabats and microbats. The larger, or Wisconsin megabats, generally have big eyes and small ears, and fox-like faces. About 150 species of bats feed on fruit, nectar, or pollen. They live in the tropics and usually do not Wisconsin hibernate. Microbats composes the rest of the Wisconsin bat families, some 17 in all. These families are further classified into about 900 Wisconsin species. They are smaller, are insect eaters and rely more on their ears than their eyes to find food. Some bats can eat as many as 600 mosquitoes per hour. Many of them must hibernate in the winter when Wisconsin insects are not available.
Wisconsin bats are nocturnal, which means that they are mostly active at night and sleep during the day. The Wisconsin bats sleep upside down by hanging onto the tops of caves, trees, or buildings with toe claws. During the night Wisconsin bats search for food, using echolocation to find it. They send out hundreds of high-pitched sounds per second. By reading the Wisconsin echoes that return to them from nearby objects they can “see” what is around them.
Recognizing the indispensable role of bats in Wisconsin’s ecosystem, particularly in rural areas like the Northwoods and the Driftless Area, is crucial. Bats act as natural pest controllers, aiding in the management of insect populations that threaten crops and forests. Additionally, in urban areas such as Milwaukee and Madison, bats contribute to pollination and seed dispersal, supporting the growth of diverse vegetation and maintaining ecological balance. Preserving bat populations in Wisconsin is vital for sustaining the state’s biodiversity and ensuring the health of its natural habitats.
From an environmental perspective, safely removing bats from commercial and residential properties in Wisconsin is imperative for human safety and environmental preservation. In densely populated areas like Green Bay and Kenosha, where bats may seek shelter in buildings, employing proper exclusion methods is necessary to mitigate potential health risks associated with bat guano and diseases such as rabies. Implementing humane exclusion techniques and advocating for bat-friendly practices can help property owners protect public health while preserving the ecological benefits that bats provide to Wisconsin’s diverse ecosystems.
List of the 20 largest cities in Wisconsin: 1. Milwaukee 2. Madison 3. Green Bay 4. Kenosha 5. Racine 6. Appleton 7. Waukesha 8. Oshkosh 9. Eau Claire 10. Janesville 11. West Allis 12. La Crosse 13. Sheboygan 14. Wauwatosa 15. Fond du Lac 16. Brookfield 17. Wausau 18. Beloit 19. Greenfield 20. Menomonee Falls