Indiana bat Photo Credit: Darwin Brack, Environmental Solutions and Innovations

Biologists have recently discovered a new Indiana bat hibernaculum (a shelter occupied by hibernating bats) in Alabama, bringing the known number of active Indiana bat caves in the state to four. The location is the southernmost known hibernaculum for the species across its range that extends north to Canada.

The new survey identified 70 Indiana bats in the cave, the largest concentration of Indiana bats now known in Alabama. The Indiana bat is exceedingly rare in Alabama, and this new discovery continues to improve our understanding of this endangered species. In 2017, researchers also discovered the southernmost known Indiana bat summer maternity colonies in the forests of Oakmulgee Ranger District (Talladega National Forest) near Tuscaloosa.

This discovery is particularly important, since bat populations across North America have been declining. One major contributing factor to the decline is White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a deadly fungal disease that infects hibernating bats. WNS has killed more than 6 million bats in North America. In Alabama, prior to WNS discovery in 2012, more than 300 Indiana bats were known to hibernate within the Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge in Jackson County. In 2019, only 19 Indiana bats were counted at Sauta Cave. Armstrong Cave in Bankhead National Forest, Lawrence County, housed over 100 Indiana bats prior to WNS. At last count it had only 3.

Protection for our bat species is vital because bats provide several billions of dollars in insect control services to U.S. agriculture every year. The most important action a landowner can take to protect bats is to limit human disturbance within any caves on their property. For landowners needing financial assistance with protecting caves, there are funds available for private landowners thru programs such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help with installing barriers on caves. For instance, Weaver Cave, home to a large number of bats near Anniston, was recently purchased by the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust. The Land Trust will be using funds available to private landowners from NRCS, with support from ADWFF with funds provided thru the White-Nose Syndrome Grant Program from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to install barriers, protecting Weaver Cave from disturbance. This will benefit all species of bats that use Weaver Cave, which could also include Indiana bats.

To read more about the new discovery and the continued monitoring efforts for bats in Alabama, click Learn More.