Ohio’s evening bat records cluster around Lake Erie marsh country and inland wetland habitat: Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Mentor Marsh sit in that lakeshore wetland belt, and Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area adds open wetland-edge habitat farther inland. The species forages low over water and along woodland edges and roosts in tree cavities and buildings close to that kind of foraging ground, so these open, wet landscapes suit its habits. Only 19 records have been logged here, a small number that limits what can be said about where the species actually concentrates.
Ohio’s recorded sightings run from May through August, peaking in July and August, a window that lines up with the warmer months when evening bats are most active and easiest for people to notice, rather than proving the species disappears the rest of the year. Ohio sits near the northern edge of a range centered farther south and east in the United States, which helps explain why records here are sparser than in states well within its core range. Its NatureServe status in Ohio is unranked, meaning there isn’t enough information on file to assign a formal conservation grade.
Full species profile
