Roosts

Abstract

For many people, the word “bat” conjures up images of dark caves, castles, and crevices. But bats find their home in all conceivable places, from subways to roofs, from termite mounds in the African savannah to palm leaves in the South American rainforest. Bats choose their roosts with great care and spend much of their lives in them. A roost provides not just a roof over the head but also a potential nursery, mating ground, and place of rest and hibernation. Above all, the roost provides protection against predators and the weather. Most bats also have several roosts to choose amongst should the one they currently occupy be disturbed. So, it can be hard for even the most experience bat watcher to find bats when they are not out flying. Many bats change their roost with the season, some relocate daily, and others return to the same place for decades. Roughly half of all bats use trees and other kinds of vegetation, the rest preferring buildings and caves or cave-like environments, such as rocky crevices, tunnels, mines, and cellars.