Endangered Indiana bat discovered in Wallkill River National Refuge

VERNON — The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in New Jersey recently announced the finding of the Indiana Bat, an endangered species, on the refuge. Refuge biologists, working late at night along the Wallkill River, discovered the bat as part of ongoing bat surveys. “This is the great news for the refuge,” said Refuge Manager Edward Henry. “Protecting habitat for endangered species like the Indiana bat is what national wildlife refuges are all about. Now we can begin to manage our habitat here in ways to help this endangered species recover.” The Indiana bat is a small, brown mammal about one-half to two inches in length, and closely resembles the little brown bat. It can be distinguished from it by small differences in fur coloration and foot structure. They tend to hibernate in limestone caves each winter and use trees with loose bark as roost trees in summer. As with all eastern U.S. bat species, Indiana bats feed almost exclusively on insects. “The fact that Indiana bats live in this section of Sussex County is a testament to the region’s high quality wildlife habitats and what made it worthy of being included in the National Wildlife Refuge System,” said Henry. “It is not mere coincidence that the desirable quality of life Sussex County offers its residents also supports rare wildlife like Indiana bats.” Additional surveys will try to establish the range of the Indiana bat on the refuge, but since bats have wide ranges and are known to live throughout the region, other groups and agencies will likely work with the service to look for the bat in other areas. For more information about the Indiana bat, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/mammals/inba/index.html.