The population of the California evening bat is in continuous decline especially in Indiana. Still, the numbers of this bat is abundant in Iowa and Missouri. It is a small bat that has a shade of black fur and dark ears and wings. The fur of the evening bat will normally be bi-colored. It may range from grayish brown to dark brown. The length of its forearm may extend from 34-38mm and will have an average weight of 8-14g. With regards to the appearance it has a striking similarity to the big brown bat but it is smaller.

The Habitat of the Evening Bat

The evening bat prefers to dwell in the forest and wooded Bakersfield areas. They will roost on the crevices of the tree and at the back of the loose-fitting bark. You may also find them roosted in the building when they are in the urban setting. They will not usually live in the caves but just like any type of bats they will also participate in the swarming activity during the latter part of the summer season. Originally, they can be found in the hollow of the trees but due to the fact that the humans have invaded their habitat, they will choose to roost in buildings.

Life Cycle 

A single male evening bat will mate with about 20 female bats. After the California mating season they will both go on different ways. The mother bat will give birth together with the other females in the colony. Usually, there will be no males present within the colony. The mating season will start in the late part of the summer and will extend up to the early months of fall. However, the females will only be pregnant during the spring season. 

The females will give birth to 2-3 infants. The newborn will weigh at about 2 grams. After 24-30 hours the Bakersfield infant will open their eyes. It will take at least 3 weeks before they can fly outside. After 6 weeks, the male will leave their roosting ground while the females will remain in the colony. Those who live in the wild will have a lifespan of 2 years and those that are in captivity can live up to 5 years.

Behavior

The Bakersfield evening bats are nocturnal creatures which mean that they will be active during the night. They will fly out of their roosting place after dusk. Like the other species of bats, they will also use echolocation to hunt for their foods. They live in smaller colonies. Each colony will have an average of 30 bats. The bats on the Northern area will migrate on the southern section in October. They can travel more than 500km. They will only return to their northern roosting ground during the spring season.

With regards to their diet, the evening bat will love to eat California leafhoppers, flies, moths, and beetles. When they are hunting their prey, they will use steady and slow flights. A large colony will be able to ingest more than one million of insects per season.