INDIANA— The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is highlighting the increasing presence of the Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus), a species typically found much farther south and east, now turning up in greater numbers across Indiana.
DNR officials believe recent climate changes are likely causing this species to migrate farther north and west than its historical range. A recent article in Ecology and Evolution explores what is currently known about Seminole bats and their movement into Indiana and beyond.
The migratory nature of bats often makes it challenging to count species in Indiana, as new or occasional species can appear.
The DNR can confirm at least 10 bat species that reside in the state:
- Hoary bat
- Big brown bat
- Silver-haired bat
- Eastern red bat
- Evening bat
- Tri-colored bat
- Little brown bat
- Indiana bat
- Northern long-eared bat
- Gray bat
In recent years, occasional sightings of the eastern small-footed bat and southeastern bat have also been recorded. The state also has historical records of the Rafinesque Big-eared bat, but this species has not been confirmed in Indiana for many years…