Wild Rockport
Bat Hibernaculum
Bats are essential for ecosystems and human societies, playing crucial roles in pest control, pollination, seed dispersal, and supporting biodiversity. They are also vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems by consuming vast numbers of insects, including crop-eating insects, and reducing the need for pesticides. Additionally, bats help pollinate various plants, including commercially valuable crops, and disperse seeds, contributing to the growth and sustainability of plant communities.
Due to White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), habitat loss, pesticides and contaminates bat populations in Michigan are in decline. With an average decline of 90%!
At Rockport you can see...
At Rockport State Recreation Area, you can find the Big Brown Bat, Little Brown Bat, and Tri-Colored Bat (although it is believed there may be other species in residence as well). These bats are known to hibernate in the abandoned tunnels of the former mining operation.
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Big Brown Bat: A colonial bat that prefers to roost in places like attics, shutters, bat houses, and trees.
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Little Brown Bat: Also a colonial bat, frequently observed in northern Michigan.
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Tri-Colored Bat: Previously known as the Eastern Pipistrelle, this bat is a colonial species and is considered a species of special concern in Michigan.
Rockport State Recreation Area is an important hibernaculum site for these bats, as it's one of only two known sites in Michigan's Lower Peninsula where bats hibernate.
