Georgia’s records for this bat come from 46 counties, led by Clarke County around Athens, and the named sites run from Chattahoochee National Forest and Coosawattee Wildlife Management Area in the north Georgia mountains to Providence Canyon State Park in the southwest, a mix of rock crevices and tree hollows to roost in and open ground to hunt insects over. NatureServe ranks the species S5, secure, in Georgia, and it’s recorded here often enough to be one of the state’s more commonly reported bats.
It hunts alone after dark, chasing down beetles and other flying insects over water and open ground, and can live surprisingly long for its size, up to 19 years in the wild. By day it roosts in rock crevices, tree hollows, and buildings, which makes it one of the bat species Georgians are most likely to find sharing an attic or barn.
Reports peak in April and May, matching the weeks when bats are emerging from winter torpor and females are gathering into maternity roosts to raise pups. Records continue at a lower level through the rest of the year, consistent with a true year-round Georgia resident rather than a seasonal visitor.
Full species profile
