Chiroptera – Bats

Susan Broderick, Evergreen Audubon member and resident bat expert, has provided the following information about our local bats. Thank you, Susan!

bat facing foreward with spread wings with interior of cave in backgroud=nd
Long-eared Bat (credit: National Park Service). (credit: National Park Service)

There are 9 species of bats that you might see in the Bear Creek Watershed area. When identifying bats, start by noticing what time it is. Is it dusk or early nighttime or midnight or getting close to dawm? What type of habitat are you in? Are you near water? A meadow? In the forest? What is the bat’s flight pattern? Does it fly in straight lines? Figure 8s? Circles? Does it fly high or low? Does it beat its wings fast or slow?

Myotis refers to one genus or classification of bats. While it is perfectly acceptable to substitute “Bat” for “Myotis,” using the scientific name will make you sound as smart!

  • Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus): The most common bat on Evergreen Lake. Found over water, trees and in clearings.
  • Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus): The most common bat in Colorado. Flies in figure 8s.
  • Silver-Haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans): The most common bat in forested areas. Slow flyers.
  • Hoary Bat (Aeorestes cinereus): Most wide-spread bat in the Americas. Flies fast and in straight lines.
  • Western Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis): A Slow flier. Often hovers. Prefers arid and high altitude habitats. Longest ears.
  • Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans): Fast and direct flyer. Hibernates in caves and abandoned mines.
  • Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii): Slow flyer. Prefers cliffs, scree fields, prairies, and deserts at high altitudes. Emerges before dark.
  • Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes): Comes out after dark. Prefers mountainous areas and old growth forests. Forms maternity colonies in caves and abandoned mines. Sensitive to human disturbance.
  • Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii): Comes out late at night, hours after dark. Highly agile flight. Favorite roosts are mines and rock shelters.

More information about bats: