![]() ![]() While in this state, the bat’s normal heart rate of 200-300 beats per minute will slow to. Once a bat has found its hibernacula, or winter hibernation spot, it will enter a sleep-like state. Hibernation is an incredible way to conserve resources, but it is not without risks. Arizona has 28 species of bats, second only to Texas in the U.S, but bats in Arizona are unlikely to do anything more than eat bugs and pollinate plants. Hibernating bats will start to consume large amounts of insects in mid-October to build body fat that will nourish and protect them during hibernation. For cave bats, roosts usually take the form of caves and mines in the winter, which is when they hibernate. Temperatures that are too low can have the same effect by causing the bat to shiver and awaken, forcing them to move to a warmer area, which burns much needed fat in the process. The place where bats live is called a roost. Temperatures that are too high will cause the bat to burn too much energy, and can lead to the bat starving to death before spring arrives. In addition to being nocturnal animals, some species of bats are known to go into hibernation, especially during the cold winter season. ![]() Within that range, the lower the air temperature, the lower the bat's metabolic rate will be. Some bat care specialists hibernate bats simply because they prefer to. Other species have also been found hibernating in similar spots but in fewer numbers, such as the silver-haired bat, western long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis), Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis), big brown bat (Eptesicus fucus) and little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus). Hibernation in captivity does not appear to be necessary for the survival of a bat. ![]() Photo by: Shawn Thomas/WDFW (left) and Abby Tobin/WDFW (right). As mentioned, there is an ideal temperature range that allows a bat to maintain torpor during hibernation. A lot of bats like to hibernate in dark and also private locations, which is why bat colonies are frequently discovered in. Big brown bat and little brown bat hibernating in cave in Washington. Once bats start this chain of events, their body temperature will continue to drop until it closely matches the temperature of the air around them. This causes an accumulation of carbon dioxide and a cascade of events that decreases their metabolic rate and lowers their body temperature. When bats are ready for hibernation, they actively slow down their breathing. Bats actively control their entrance into and their arousal from torpor. ![]()
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