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"The
love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of
man." - Charles Darwin
Little
Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)
Source:
http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~mmasters/batlab/wildbats.html
In Fall 2001,
as part of class project in "Applied Ecology", former MS3 student
Eric Landreth co-wrote a grant proposal with Dr. Steven Doherty as
part of the Student/Faculty Research grants offered by the
university. This grant was to build a bat condominium on campus to
house a maternal bat colony. Bats are important contributors to
insect control, as most species of bats in the United States feed
on insects. They capture insects either in their mouths or by
scooping them into their tail or wing membrane. A single bat can
eat as many as 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour.
There are over 900 species
of bats worldwide. They are mammals, accounting for about one fifth
of the mammals species population. They are the slowest reproducing
mammal for their size. Most species only give birth to one pup per
year, but some species do give birth to three to four. Females give
birth to live young and they are fed on milk produced by the
mammary glands.
Many species of bats are
declining. There are six species of bats in the United States
listed as endangered. Threats to bat populations include pesticides
and other chemicals, loss and destruction of habitat and killing.
Disturbance of maternal colonies is also a problem. Mother bats
that are panicked will often drop their babies. The babies, too
young to fly, fall to their deaths. They may also abandon the
babies when frightened by intruders.- Source:
http://www.starbreezes.com/11/bat.html
In the spring and summer
of 2003, MS3 student Louise Liller began procurement of materials
to include local and recycled materials, to also incorporate green
design into the bat condo. Siting decisions were made with
university cabinet and facilities personnel. Construction for the
bat house is set to begin the in the fall of 2003 by SRU
Facilities, under the direction of Tim Carney.
  
Pictures Courtesy of the North American Bat House
Research Project. For more information on bat conservation, bat
house designs and other information, visit http://www.batcon.org/bhra/
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