COMMON NAME: Raccoon

TYPE: Mammals

DIET:  

Omnivore/ Scavengers. In this case it can be called opportunist.

In nature, raccoons snare a lot of their meals in the water. These nocturnal foragers use their quick paws to grab crayfish, frogs, and other aquatic creatures. On land, they pluck mice and insects from their hiding places and raid nests for tasty eggs.

Raccoons also eat fruit and plants, this includes those grown in gardens and farms.  When food is scarce, raccoons aren’t above scavenging human trash or eating roadkill. 

AVERAGE LIFE SPAN (IN THE WILD): 2 to 3 years

SIZE: 23.75 to 37.5 inches (60 to 95 centimeters)   ( about as big as small dogs )

WEIGHT: 4 to 23 pounds    (1.8 to 10.4 kilograms) 

These Worldwide mammals are found in forests, marshes, prairies, and even in cities. They are adaptable and use their dexterous front paws and long fingers to find and feast on a wide variety of Nourishment.

Den Behavior:

These ring-tailed animals are equally opportunistic when it comes to choosing a denning site. They may inhabit a tree hole, fallen log, or a house's attic.

 Habitat:

Raccoons are found in North and Central America, Europe and Japan. They are very adaptable, so they live in a wide range of climates and habitats. They typically make their dens in trees or caves, though they will also make den in many man-made structures.

 Habits:

Raccoons are not very social. They are nocturnal, hunting for food at night. During the winter, they tend to sleep more, However,  they do not hibernate  They simply sleep while their bodies live off stored fat. They lose around 50 percent of their body weight during the winter, according to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web (ADW). 

Though these animals may look dingy and scavenge through trash, raccoons are actually very clean creatures. They are known to wash their food in streams and even dig latrines in areas they frequent regularly. 

 Offspring: 

Baby raccoons are called kits or cubs and are usually born in the early summer. Females have about one to seven offspring after a gestation period of 60 to 73 days. For the first two months of their lives, babies live in their den and are weaned at 7 to 16 weeks. At 12 weeks, they will start to roam away from their mothers for whole nights at a time, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. They become completely independent at 8 to 12 months of age. 

Other Facts: 

• Raccoons can run up to 15 mph (24 km/h) and can fall 35 to 40 feet (11 to 12 meters) without injury, according to the ADW. 
• Raccoons are considered one of the primary carriers of the rabies virus in the United States, though only one person has ever died from a raccoon to human transmission of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
• One theory is that the black mask around a raccoon’s eyes helps deflect glare and helps with night vision, according to PBS Nature.
• Raccoons have five toes on their front paws that act much like human hands.

 They can be vicious when approached by humans. Humans should be particularly cautious of approaching raccoons because they are common carriers of rabies, roundworms and leptospirosis, according to The Humane Society. Most experts do not recommend having a raccoon as a pet. 

 Raccoons should not be handled without Professional Services.  

information credits:  

National Geographic 

Live Science 

ODNR Division of Wildlife 

Type: Reptile 

(Photo above is a Black Ratsnake, photo was taken/ by me)

In this section, we will be discussing snakes local to Northeastern Ohio, in the counties surrounding Tuscarawas. 

    Snakes have suffered more from human ignorance and superstition than any other animal. Most snakes are docile and fascinating. They are more scared of you than you are of them, leaving them defense rather than aggressive. They will make every attempt to get away from a potential threat before the last resort of striking with the intention of biting. 

  There are about 25 different species of snake in the state of ohio. 

About three of which are Venomous.

 Ohio has only three species of venomous snakes, two of which have rattles at the end of the tail. The third species is the Northern copperhead.  Many people mistakenly believe the Northern Watersnake as the water moccasin (aka cottonmouth). 

Water moccasins are not native to Ohio.

Only a handful of snakes are located in the Northeast region:

• Queen snake
• Northern Watersnake
• Brown snake
• Northern Ringneck snake 
• Northern Black Racer / Blue Racer
• Black Ratsnake 
• Eastern Milksnake 
• Eastern Gartner snake 
• Eastern Ribbonsnake 
• Northern Copperhead
• Timber Rattlesnake
• Massasauga Rattlesnake  

Queen snake :   Status- Endangered

• dark brown with a yellow stripe on the lower side of the body. 
• The belly is also yellow with two brown stripes near the middle and two along the sides.
•  reaches 15-24 inches in length. 
•  do not lay eggs 
•  Mating takes place in April-May 
•  number of offspring is 5-23.
•  aquatic queen snake prefers slow moving or shallow rocky creeks and rivers
• feeds primarily upon soft-shelled crayfish. 

Northern Watersnake:   Status- Common

• one of the most widely distributed and most abundant snakes in Ohio. 
• confused by many with the venomous water moccasin 
• reach up to 42 inches 
•  Mating occurs in April and June  
•  4-99 young are born in the late summer and fall. 
•  do not lay eggs 
•  fond of basking, and can often be seen sunning upon emerged logs, stumps, and rocks, or on low branches overhanging the water 
• Will usually flee however if grabbed they are almost always extremely aggressive. Their bite is vicious, large ones are capable of producing painful, deep lacerations 
• can secrete an obnoxious smelling substance from their musk glands 
•  usually feed on amphibians, fish, and small mammals. 

Brown snake:  Status- Common

• used to be categorized as two subspecies, the Northern and midland brown snakes. 
•  have two rows of dark spots running down the back 
• do not lay eggs 
•  young born in the summer 
•  never bite when captured. only real defense is the musk glands 
•  often encountered hiding under stones, logs, old boards, and other such debris.
•  feed extensively on snails, slugs, worms, and soft-bodied insects. 
•  harmless brown snakes are often mistaken for copperheads and killed when they are spotted in suburban areas. Brown snakes and copperheads have quite different coloration and patterns 

Northern Ringneck Snake:  Status- Common

•  usually seeks cover under the nearest available object. 
•  mild tempered 
• can discharge a pungent substance from their musk glands and wiggle violently to escape. 
• small in size,  10 - 15-inch 
•  ring around the neck that is yellow or yellowish orange 
•  most egg laying snakes, ringnecks tend to deposit their eggs in a community nest, frequently in rotted logs exposed to the sun 
• breeding is spring or fall   
• typical clutch is 3-10 eggs. 
• prefer rocky, wooded hillsides and cutover wooded areas  
• basically nocturnal and spend most of the day concealed beneath logs, stones, boards, and similar objects.  
• feed on salamanders, lizards, frogs, and earthworms.   
• Females are larger and have proportionally shorter tails than males. 

 Northern Black Racer:   Status- Common  

•  is a uniform black allover  
• 36 to 60 inches long  
• inbreeding often occurs in the area where the populations of the black and blue racer overlap   
• breeding activity occurs from April to July. 
• lay their eggs in hidden nests, such as a rotted stump or log, an old mammal burrow, or a nest cavity in the leaf litter or sand. 
•  3-36 eggs 
•  racers are among the swiftest and most graceful of all our snakes 
•  top speed is only 8 to 10 miles/hr
•  extremely nervous and become very aggressive when an attempt is made to capture, if continued to be messed with can strike viciously and can inflict a painful bite with their small but numerous teeth 
• If alarmed, will rapidly vibrate the tip of their tail, as do many other species of snakes 
•  foods include insects, spiders, small frogs, small reptiles, and young rodents and shrews. 

Black Ratsnake:   Status- Common 

• Ohio's largest snake 
•  occurs throughout most of Ohio 
• Also known as Gray Ratsnake 
• one of Ohio's most beneficial reptile assets; they play an essential role in controlling destructive rodents. 
• typically four to six feet long, have been known to be more than eight feet long 
• completely black except for a white chin, a slender body and a wedge-shaped head.
• mating process is usually from April to June 
• female will then lay her eggs in a hidden area, such as under hollow logs or leaves, or in abandoned burrows. 
•  typical clutch has 12-20 eggs 
•  essentially forest-loving snake 
•  accomplished climber and is often found high in trees, frequently taking shelter in woodpecker holes and other cavities. 
• If first encountered, most will freeze in position, blending in with their surroundings. They remain motionless until grabbed. Although some will put up little or no resistance when captured, many will vibrate their tail rapidly and strike repeatedly. When picked up, they usually coil tightly about the arm and discharge a foul-smelling substance from the scent glands 
• typically will eat mice and rats, chipmunks, moles, and other small rodents.
   

Eastern Milksnake:   Status- Common

• is a true constrictor 
• coils from its muscular body does not crush, but merely exert enough pressure to prevent breathing. The victim soon suffocates and is then swallowed whole.  
• feed primarily on mice and other small rodents, as well as smaller snakes. 
• belly has a black and white checkerboard pattern. A Y-shaped or V-shaped light-colored blotch is usually present on the nape of the neck 
• grows to 2 or 3 feet. 
•  eggs are usually laid in a rotting log
• when the young emerge from eggs they are brightly colored, but the color dulls as the snakes age 
• Breeding takes place in April, May, and June 
•  2-17 eggs 
•  in a variety of habitats; woods, meadows, and river bottoms--even within cities, where they occasionally enter buildings in search of mice 
• usually move about at night and spend the day hiding beneath objects such as logs, rocks, and old boards 
• When first encountered, will either remains motionless or attempts to crawl away. If pestered, it may vibrate the tip of its tail rapidly and strike repeatedly. their teeth can barely puncture the skin

 Eastern Gartner Snake:   Status- Common  

• one of Ohio's three gartersnakes, and it is the most abundant snake in Ohio. 
• pattern of three yellow stripes on a black or brown body 
•  found in almost every habitat type in the state.  
• 18-26 inch body 
• young emerge alive from the body of the mother.  
•  Peak breeding takes place in March and April
• Young are born anywhere between July and October, and are able to care for themselves immediately. 
• number of young depend on the age, size and condition of the female, but on average a little has about 20 young 
•  variety of habitats including pond and stream edges, wetlands, forests, fields, rocky hillsides, and residential areas 
•  often seen basking on wood piles, stone walls, hedges, and rocks. 
• saliva appears to be toxic to amphibians and other small animals and a bite may produce swelling or a rash in some people 
• typically eat earthworms and amphibians. 

Eastern Ribbon Snake:  Status-  Least Concern  

• more at home on shore than in the water 
•  when in danger it will retreat to the water. But, instead of diving to the bottom as a watersnake would, it swims rapidly along the shore to quickly disappear  into the vegetation.  
•  very high-strung and skittish, even after being in captivity for a long time, will dart about nervously at the slightest movement. 
• its appearance can be confused as a gartner snake 
•   has an exceptionally long tail that accounts for one-fourth to one-third of its total length (18-26 inches) 
•  prefer to feed upon aquatic creatures such as small fish, tadpoles, salamanders, small frogs, and toads. 
•  4-27 young are born in late summer.  
•  semi-aquatic, seldomly venture far from water 
•  they frequent the margins of small lakes, ponds, and swamps, and occasionally moist woods throughout Ohio 

             VENOMOUS SNAKES 

Northern Copperhead:  Status- Common 

• gaining its title from the reddish or copper coloration of its head with a dark chestnut-colored hourglass shaped pattern on the body 
•  most numerous and most frequently encountered venomous snake. 
•  like most other snakes they are non aggressive. They will take a defensive posture only when directly threatened. The bite,  while painful and capable of producing severe illness, rarely results in death. 
• usually 2-3 feet long 
• facial pits between its nostrils and eyes, and elliptical pupils 
• Peak breeding activity occurs at two distinct times: late August-October and February-April. 
•  most young being born in August, through mid-September. 
• 3-10 eggs 
• reside in a variety of areas including oak-hickory hillsides with rock crevices and slides, swamp borders, old slab piles from sawmill operations, and the abandoned foundations and wood structures of old buildings.  preference for moist habitats 
•  primary food is mice. They will also consume small birds, frogs, small snakes, and insects--particularly locusts and moth larvae. 

Timber Rattlesnake:   Status- Endangered 

• the most dangerous snakes in northeastern America. 
• most timber rattlers are mild in disposition unless aroused, and make little attempt to rattle or strike.
• average three to four feet long,  may attain a length in excess of six feet 
•  two basic color phases. The yellow phase has a series of dark brown or black chevron-shaped crossbands on a ground color of brownish yellow. The black phase has the crossbands on a ground color of blackish brown. 
• 10 offspring every four years 
•  emerge from their dens in spring and disperse to the surrounding hillsides 
•  are a woodland species, also utilize sunlit gaps in the canopy for basking and deep rock crevices for overwintering (den sites). 
•  typically eat mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels. 

Massasauga:    Status- Endangered 

• one of two rattlesnakes 
• the name “massasauga” comes from the language of the Chippewa tribe of Native Americans.  
• becoming increasingly rare in North America 
•  medium-sized (20-30 inches) 
• dark-colored, rattlesnake with 29 to 50 dark dorsal blotches on its gray or brownish gray body. 
• can be identified by its short, thick body. 
• most distinguishable feature of this snake is the stubby rattle on the end of its tail. 
•  young are born from late July through September 
•  8 young in a litter, but it can vary from 3-19 
•  growth of the young is heavily dependent upon the amount of food available. 
• are found in wet prairies, sedge meadows, and early successional fields 
•  Preferred wetland habitats are marshes and fens. They avoid open water and seem to prefer the cover of broad-leafed plants, emergents, and sedges 
• Feeding usually takes place in the early morning, late afternoon, or at night on small mammals (short-tailed shrew, meadow vole, deer, white-footed mice), small snakes, small frogs, salamanders, toads, and young birds.
   

Other Facts:

•  Snakes use their muscles to move swiftly across the ground, through water, and along tree branches. 
• They are near-sighted and therefore depend heavily on their sense of smell. Each time they flick their tongue out, it gathers particles from the air.
•  In the roof of the mouth are two small cavities called Jacobson’s organs.
•  Snakes have a specialized mouth construction which enables them to swallow their prey whole.   
• Unlike most animals, which cannot digest bones, fur, and feathers, the snake has exceptionally powerful digestive juices that are even capable of digesting teeth. 
•  The heat sensitive pits in front of and below each eye of venomous snakes and are capable of detecting extremely small increases in air temperature from some distance of the snake’s face.
•  An average of six people die of snake bites annually in the United States. Considerably more people are killed by dog bites and lightning. 
•  Anyone bitten by a venomous snake will know it soon enough. Moderate symptoms include; mild swelling, discoloration and pain at the wound site, and may also include; general tingling, weakness, rapid pulse, dimness of vision, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. Severe symptoms include; rapid swelling and numbness, followed by severe pain at the wound site. There may also be pinpoint-size pupils, facial twitching, slurred speech, convulsions, paralysis, and loss of consciousness.
•  some snakes give birth to live young, while others lay eggs 
• Most snakes admit a musk, which is a odor used for selection of mates, warning or territory. The musk comes from a scent gland, which by some people can perceive the smell as cucumbers or melon 

VENOMOUS OR NOT, NEVER SHOULD A SNAKE BE HANDLED WITHOUT A PROFESSIONAL HANDLER OR LICENCED SERVICES!

information credits:  

ODNR 

Wideopenspace 

Ohio History Central

Live Science

Type: Mammal 

 In this section, we will be discussing Bats. Like other animals, Bats have suffered a lot of intolerances and misconceptions.  In popular culture belief; bats have long been associated with rodents, blindness, vampires, and disease. Bats are one of the world's leading mammals in decreasing mosquito populations and are big pollinators alongside Bees.  

 In Ohio Alone there are roughly 14 different species. Which Only 10 Species are commonly found in the Tuscarawas County Area and surrounding counties.

• Big Brown 
• Silver-haired 
• Eastern Red 
• Hoary 
• Eastern Small-footed Myotis 
• Little Brown Myotis 
• Northern Long-eared Myotis 
• Indiana Myotis 
• Evening 
• Tri-colored  

Big Brown: Status -  Species of Concern 

•  Scientific name: Eptesicus fuscus 
• fur is long and silky in appearance, compared to other Ohio bats. fur is light to dark brown on the upper parts, with slightly paler under parts 
•  ears and wing membranes are dark brown to black, and they have relatively large heads with shorter rounded ears 
•  Mating begins in September before bats enter hibernation 
•   formed maternity colonies beneath loose bark and in small cavities of pine, oak, beech, bald cypress and other trees. Common maternity roosts today can be found in buildings, barns, bridges, and even bat houses. 
•  usually in the eastern U.S. these bats will have twins, while in the western U.S. they will have single pups 
•  Newborns have hind feet nearly as large as adults, which helps them cling to the walls of the roost. 
•  they feed over a variety of habitats, including water, fields, forest openings, and urban and suburban areas,  typically feedings will last one or two hours after sunset and before sunrise. 
•  typically eat agricultural pests, like June and cucumber beetles, and stink bugs; they also eat ants, stoneflies, mayflies, lacewings, and, occasionally, moths. 
•  A small colony of 25 bats can eat a pound of insects every night.
•  primary types of habitats: hibernation sites used during the winter (e.g., caves, mines) and roosting sites for rearing young (e.g., buildings and under bridges)  
•  can be found hibernating alone or in small groups, typically in buildings, but also in mines, and caves. Caves are included in the Cave Protection Act portion of the Ohio Revised Code 1517. This cave protection act ensures that cave life and habitat is conserved, including bats hibernating within them. 

Silver-haired : Status-  Species of Concern  

• Scientific Name:  Lasionycteris noctivagans 
•  one of the slowest flying bats in Ohio, a trait that helps them complete long-distance migrations in the winter 
• have not been found to become afflicted by White-nose syndrome because they hibernate in warm environments. 
• eats a variety of insects, including moths, true bugs, ground beetles, flies, and termites 
• They form colonies almost exclusively in tree cavities or small hollows 
• Typical hibernation roosts for this species include small tree hollows, beneath exfoliating bark, in wood piles, and in cliff faces 

Eastern Red: Status-  Species of Concern 

• Scientific Name:  Lasiurus borealis 
• North America's most abundant “tree bats.” 
• roosts in the foliage of deciduous or sometimes evergreen trees 
•  Despite their bright red color, these bats look like dead leaves or pine cones, They are perfectly camouflaged  
•  solitary, coming together only to mate and to migrate. 
•  often give birth to twins and can have litters of up to five young, though three young is average. 
• In summer months , they among the earliest evening fliers, typically feeding around forest edges, in clearings, or around street-lights where they consume predominantly moths 
•   eats crickets, flies, hoppers, beetles, cicadas, and other insects.
• known to survive body temperatures as low as 23 degrees F 
•  Their long, silky fur provides extra protection from severe cold, and they also use their heavily furred tail membrane like a blanket 
•  In the summer, when temperatures reach above 90 F, they cool themselves by handing from limbs and stretching, with their wings drooped. 
•  has dense, soft fur all over its body, including on its uropatagium (the skin connecting its legs and tail). They have long pointed wings, a long tail and white shoulder patches. 
•  While in hibernation, they respond to subfreezing temperatures by raising their metabolic rate to maintain a body temperature above their critical lower survival limit. 
• males are a bright red to reddish-brown color and females are usually yellow with a reddish tint. 

Hoary: Status-  Species of Concern 

• Scientific name: Lasiurus cinereus 
• America's largest  
• long, dense, white-tipped fur, they have a frosted appearance 
• yellowish- red colored fur around the bats face with a distinctive dark outline giving the bat the appearance of a hood. 
• they are not attracted to houses or other human structures, and they stay well-hidden in foliage throughout the day.
•  typically roost 10-15 feet up in trees along forest borders 
• Traveling in waves, they are often found in the company of birds, who also migrate in groups. 
• remain solitary 
• Hawaii's only native land mammal. 
• tend to feed primarily on moths, but will also eat beetles, flies, grasshoppers, termites, dragonflies, and wasps.  
• sometimes forage in groups of three or more at productive feeding and drinking sites.
• can withstand cold temperatures because of its thick fur.
• have been caught flying in temperatures as low at 32 F.
   

 Eastern small-footed myotis: Status-   Species of Concern  

• Scientific Name:  Myotis leibii 
• Little data is available about them 
• length of 2 7/8 - 3 1/4 inches 
• long glossy chestnut brown fur with black accents 
• generally roost on the ground under rocks, in crevices/occasionally in buildings and under tree bark. 
• rarest bat in North America, Ohio’s smallest bat 
• limited to eating small-bodied insects; one study reported them feeding on flies, beetles, true bugs, leafhoppers, and flying ants 
• They are known from hemlock forest habitats and from rock falls, caves, mines and rock crevices associated with hemlock forest regions. 
• nursery colonies of 12 to 20 bats sometimes found in buildings. 

 Little Brown Myotis: Status-  Species of Concern 

• Scientific Name:  Myotis lucifugus 
• fur on a little brown is a sleek, glossy brown, ranging from dark brown to reddish brown on the back with slightly paler, grayish under parts. 
• muzzle is furred, and the ears are relatively short. 
• between 2.6-4.3 inches long and weigh 0.2 to 0.5 ounces 
• wingspan is 8.7 to 10.6 inches. 
• It is thought that they prefer to feed on small-bodied aquatic insects, midges, moths , leafhoppers, and planthoppers 
• females form large maternity colonies that can number in the hundreds,  males generally roost alone or in small groups 
• can use a wide variety of roosts, including houses, barns, and tree hollows. 
•  is thought to hibernate in small rock crevices, as well as caves and mines  
•  they associated with humans, often forming nursery colonies, with hundreds to thousands of individuals in buildings, attics, and other man-made structures. 
• can catch up to 1,200 insects in just one hour  

 Northern long-eared Myotis: Status-  Threatened  

• Scientific Name-   Myotis septentrionalis 
• steep declines of this species are largely due to White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that affects mainly cave-dwelling bats 
• can be easily distinguished from its cousins by its long ears and pointy tragus, a prominence on the middle of the external ear 
• has less variation in the tone of the brown. 
• eat a variety of insects, including moths, beetles, caddisflies, and flies;   in addition to catching prey while flying, these bats will capture stationary insects such as spiders from the surface of leaves or the ground
• can be found inhabiting forests and woodlands, particularly upland forests 
• generally more solitary and is most often found singly or in very small groups. 
• White-nose syndrome (WNS) continues to spread across its range, that northern long-eared myotis will become endangered in the future. 

   Indiana Myotis: Status-  Endangered  

• Scientific Name:  Myotis sodalis 
• first bat species in the United States to be recognized as endangered 
• Bares a close resemblance to The Little Brown,  appears uniformly dark brown, often with a distinctive pinkish or chestnut color.  unlike Little Brown their individual hairs are actually tri-colored to help tell them apart 
• little is known about the reproductive biology of this species. 
• populations continue to decrease in several portions of their range, indicating disturbance or loss of summer habitat  
• feed one or two hours after sunset and before sunrise 
• may switch roosts due to increased parasite loads or unstable food resources brought on by drought or heavy rains.  

  Evening: Status-   Least Concern 

• Scientific Name: Nycticeius humeralis 
• Closely resembles brown bat, only smaller
• prefer the forest and open habitats 
• are forest bats and are never found in caves 
• dark brown except for its black ears. Its snout, wings, and tail membranes are hairless 
• body is 86 to 105 mm long; the tail is 33 to 42 mm long; wingspan ranges from 260 to 280 mm 
• One male mates with up to 20 females 
•  Females give birth in colonies with other females 
•  young are born in nursery colonies, usually in hollow trees, behind loose bark, and sometimes in buildings and attics 
•  expected to live about 2 years in the wild, highest recorded lifespan is as long as 5 years 
•  are social and migratory 
•  feed on beetles, moths, flies, and leafhoppers 
•  colony of 100 bats can consume over 1.25 million insects a season 
•  roosts in hollows of trees, under loose bark, or in buildings. 

   Tri-colored:  Status-  endangered 

• Perimyotis subflavus 
• their appearance at tree-top level indicates that they may roost in foliage or in high tree cavities and crevices. 
•  insectivore 
• typical lifespan:  4 to 8 years 
• Females are larger than males 
• wingspan 220 mm to 250 mm 
• length 77 mm to 89 mm; tail 34 mm to 41 mm 
• most common species of bats found throughout the eastern forests of America 
• not often found in buildings or in deep woods, seeming to prefer edge habitats near areas of mixed agricultural use. 
• been found to feed on large hatches of grain moths emerging from corn cribs, indicating that they may be of important agricultural benefit.  
• cannot withstand freezing temperatures and are among the first bats to enter hibernation  
• Hibernation sites are found deep within caves or mines in areas of relatively warm, stable temperatures. 
• Due to their proclivity for humid hibernation sites, this species is among those impacted by white-nose syndrome 
• solid yellowish brown, but each individual hair is “tricolored” with a brown tip, a yellow middle and a dark base. 
• is one of the smallest bats in North America. 
• The species' low reproductive rate constrains its ability to recover quickly from the dramatic population decline,  threatened by human disturbance at hibernation and roost sites, wind energy, habitat loss, pesticides and climate change   

 Other Facts: 

• Not all bats hibernate, Some bat species survive by migrating in search of food to warmer areas when it gets Colder
•  Bats have few natural predators however disease is one of the biggest threat,  millions of bats dying from White-Nose Syndrome This disease is named for a white fungus on the muzzle and wings of bats that are hibernating.
• Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination,  Fruit bats live in dense forests in Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia. 
• There are 1,200 species of bats in the world. 70% of bats consume insects and small bugs for food. The other 30% consume various types of fruit. Only a small number of bats feed on blood. 
• Vampire bats feed mainly on the blood of cattle. This is the only species of bat that only feeds from this type of nourishment. 
• Bats can be found in nearly all parts of the planet expect extreme deserts or polar regions 
• The U.S. and Canada are home to about 45 species of bats and additional species are found in the U.S. territories in the Pacific and Caribbean. 
• Hawaii has its own native bat species 
• Bats are NOT rodents and are the only mammal that flies, they have a flexible skin membrane that extends between each long finger bone and many movable joints making them agile fliers. 
• Bats are NOT blind, some species have better sight than others, they locate pray with echolocation 
• communicate with high pitched sounds undetectable by the human ear, called echolocation 
• All bats in the U.S. are insectivorous, meaning they eat insects.   
• Many Female bats go through a process known as delayed fertilization, before hibernation, there is a behavioral phenomenon known as “swarming.” 
• Human disturbance and alteration of hibernation caves, loss of roosting and foraging habitat due to deforestation, and pesticide poisoning have all contributed to the decline of many species
• insect eating bats play an important role in regulating insect populations. 

ALL OHIO BATS ARE PROTECTED BY LAW, All professionals are required to remove them safely from residential locations, unless they are tested positive for rabies then euthanization is required. 

 Bats are normally harmless however they are not to be handled by the public as they have a potential to carry rabies, though it is not common they do have other diseases and virus that humans can contract easily... Most human cases result from rabid bat bites, but statistically, fewer than 4% of bats test positive for rabies in Ohio. Don't risk the chance and contact a professional !

*** (April 1st 2020) Recent Developments of the world wide pandemic, Covid- 19,  has many people believing bats are the source. However Zoologists and disease experts say otherwise told by CNN "  the destruction of natural habitats, coupled with the huge number of fast-moving people now on Earth -- has enabled diseases that were once locked away in nature to cross into people fast. "  

To read more on this topic ---> CNN Article  , ScienceAlert Article  , sciencemag Article   *** 

If you have bats nesting in your home, please take the recommended steps; do not touch or bother them, quickly Contact Us for a safe and effective removal! 

If you are concerned for the conservation of these animals, please research and read on ways to make Bat Houses ---> BatCon.org 

  Designing bat-specific artificial roosts are the best options to keep bats out of our homes, yet near enough so that we can continue to benefit from their insect-eating capabilities.

**Bat houses that are located outside of your home are a temporary fix. During the winter, bats will leave the bat house for a winter roost. They may end up returning to your home especially if not patched up properly. For a more permanent fix, allow a professional exclude them from your home. Here at WILDANIMALCONTROLANDHOMEREPAIRSLLC, We offer a 5 year guarantee for bat removal **

 information credits:  

OhioHistory.org

BatCon

Batworlds

ODH

StarkParks 

CDC.org

OhioWildlifeCenter

U.S DOI.gov 

animaldiversity.org

biologicaldiversity.org

 Photo credit: Getty Images