Oklahoma mammals

Big Brown Bat in Oklahoma

Eptesicus fuscus

Native to Oklahoma SNR Unranked in Oklahoma

Not listed as nonindigenous in Oklahoma by USGS NAS; native to its Oklahoma range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Big Brown Bat in Oklahoma, by the numbers

Common in Oklahoma 19th most recorded of 120 mammals logged in Oklahoma

315 occurrence records
309 with iNaturalist photos
Jul 8, 2026 Last seen in Oklahoma

Records from 2000–2026.

315 total records count every Oklahoma occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 292; the monthly chart covers the 291 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Big Brown Bat in Oklahoma

Most sightings fall in November to December.

291 Oklahoma occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Oklahoma records (table)
MonthRecords
January21
February29
March13
April21
May15
June31
July22
August21
September8
October24
November41
December45

Monthly big brown bat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Oklahoma, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Oklahoma, with recorded sightings peaking in November–December, with a smaller rise in February and June.

Occurrence map

Where Big Brown Bat has been recorded in Oklahoma

292 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

292 Oklahoma records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
CLO Lands 6
Alabaster Caverns State Park 2

Protected places with the most big brown bat sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Oklahoma

CountyRecords
Adair County 54
Tulsa County 45
Le Flore County 25
Mayes County 25
Creek County 22
Wagoner County 22
Delaware County 21
Payne County 14
Osage County 11
Muskogee County 10
Cherokee County 8
Rogers County 7
10 other counties 51

The complete county distribution, spread across 22 Oklahoma counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Big brown bats occur statewide and often roost in buildings, tree cavities, and crevices near feeding habitat. At Lake Thunderbird, Salt Plains, and other waterside sites, watch the open sky shortly after sunset for broad-winged bats making steady passes after beetles and other insects.

Oklahoma records cover the full year, with an unusual November–December concentration that may reflect survey effort as much as activity. Never handle a grounded bat; contact a wildlife professional if one is found indoors or acting abnormally.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

More mammals in Oklahoma in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"