Flora and Fauna Friday - Indiana bat

Flora and Fauna Friday - Indiana bat

The Indiana bat was one of 17 species listed as threatened or endangered in Missouri in 2003. The Indiana bat plays an early and pivotal role in the upcoming novel, The Homeplace Revisited.

As you see from the photos, thanks to Wikimedia Commons, they are not what most of us would call "cute." But, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tells us it has had a serious population decline, over 50% over a ten year period. 

The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. Missouri is toward the western end of its native territory. It is similar in appearance to the more common little brown bat but is distinguished by it's feet size, toe hair length, pink lips and a keel on the calcar.

Indiana bats live in hardwood forests and hardwood-pine forests. As an insectivore, the bat will eat both terrestrial and aquatic flying insects like moths, beetles, and mosquitoes and midges. 

For reference: http://www.city-data.com/states/Missouri-Flora-and-fauna.html

"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)