Little Brown Bat

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Little Brown Bat

(Myotis Lucifugus). Patient Number 25-1073.

Date of admission: July 3, 2025.
Reason for admission: Caught by Cat.

Patient History:

Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) are the most common species of bat in Alberta. They get their name from their small size—typically weighing around 8.5 grams—and their colouring, which ranges from dark brown to black. Remarkably, this species tends to live longer than most other bats found in Alberta, with an average lifespan of 6–7 years in the wild. However, one banded adult Little Brown Bat, recorded in 1975, was found to have lived at least 39 years!

Bats are fascinating mammals that rely on echolocation to navigate and hunt for food. These sounds are emitted at high frequencies that are usually beyond human hearing. While foraging for insects, they can produce up to 200 calls per second. The diet of Little Brown Bats consists mainly of insects, making them incredibly helpful to humans by consuming pests like mosquitoes, mayflies, beetles, wasps, and moths.

In terms of behavior, Little Brown Bats are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dusk and dawn, not fully nocturnal as often assumed. They also typically do not migrate. Instead, they travel short distances—usually only a few kilometers—to reach their hibernation sites, known as hibernacula, which can include caves, abandoned mines, and even some man-made structures. These bats emerge from hibernation in the spring, usually in April or May, when the weather warms and insects become active again.

This female Little Brown Bat was brought to us from the southwest area of Calgary. Unfortunately, she had been caught by a cat and sustained injuries, including a hole in her chiropatagium—the outer membrane of her wing that connects the bones and enables flight. Injuries to this area require careful rehabilitation to ensure she regains full flight capability.

It’s a very positive sign that she has now spent over two weeks in care, as this indicates she is recovering well. We’re hopeful that with continued rehabilitation, she will be ready for release back into the wild soon.

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