Named for the specimen first described in Indiana, this bat is found across much of the eastern US, including Ohio, and was one of the first bats ever protected under the Endangered Species Act, decades before white-nose syndrome made things worse. It hibernates in dense clusters inside a small number of specific caves, which means a huge share of the regional population can be vulnerable to disturbance or disease at just a handful of sites.
Ohio’s 39 records lean toward February and March, likely capturing bats near hibernation sites before they scatter to summer roosts in Wayne National Forest and similar wooded areas. NatureServe ranks it S1, critically imperiled, in Ohio, consistent with steep population losses recorded across its range.
Full species profile
