Are bats known to hibernate?

The ability to pass an entire season in sleep may sound like a great skill to have for the lazier people among us, but for most animals, hibernation has more to do with survival than lethargy. Many mammals annually go into hibernation, where they drift off into a sleep state for extended periods of time, with some species only sleeping a few days to others drawing out entire months in the process, depending on the environment and weather. Like these animals, bats also go into hibernation.

When do bats hibernate?
The primary purpose of hibernation is to draw out the long, cold winter when the food supply is scarce, so the question “when do bats hibernate?” essentially becomes “when does the cold weather start”. Referring the above statement, bats usually start their hibernation cycle around the start of winter when the cold drives off (or kills off) most insects, the primary food source of bats, and usually don’t emerge from their hibernation state till the season has long passed and the year is well into spring.

What is their hibernation-like?
As explained before, hibernation is essentially a sleep state, but the way the body behaves during hibernation is VERY different from that of normal sleep. Since animals are to hibernate for long, long periods of time continuously, without waking up in between to replenish their bodies with food, hibernation aims to maximise the amount of time the body fat accumulated over the years can be used to keep the animal alive. That’s why while hibernating, bats have very low metabolic rates and heartbeats, all to conserve their fat stores to keep them alive for months on end.

Where do they prefer to hibernate?
Since bats would prefer not to waste energy keeping themselves warm while hibernating, they usually prefer to pick hibernation spots that are warmer than the outside environment. They also like to hibernate in large groups, a move that also conserves heat and energy since each bat also keeps the one next to it warm during the cold months. Another thing bats like to avoid while hibernating is a spot that isn’t already occupied by other animals or one that won’t be disturbed for the entirety of their hibernation cycle. Since being woken up in the middle of hibernation is not an event many bats survive (they’re extremely weak when woken up, and if the winter hasn’t passed they won’t be able to find food easily).

Do all bats hibernate?
Bats only hibernate out of necessity, so it’s not uncommon to see bats in warmer climates active all year round since the weather there never reaches a point where hibernation is their only chance for survival. Moreover, not all bats that live in cold climates or climates with cold winters hibernate; they may choose to migrate to warmer areas instead.

Call Us:

405-253-0610

Email Us:

info@oklahomacityanimalexterminator.com

Looking for a free estimate?

Contact us!

Brands We Use

Brands

Business Hours

Mon8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Tue8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Wed8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Thu8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Fri8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Sat9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Sun9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Payment

Our Guarantee

We strive for complete customer satisfaction, and stand by our work! We guarantee all our exclusion and prevention home repairs against new animal entry into the home or attic. Call us for more details.