Bats are probably exceeded only by rodents as the most numerous mammals on earth. Return to the top of this page, or back to the home page. Habitat Social bats may roost in caves, buildings, hollow trees, animal burrows, abandoned mines and other protected areas, while solitary bats may live among leaves or under the bark of trees, rock crevices and other suitable spaces. Female bats give birth to only one or two young annually and roost in small or large numbers. Males may live singly or in small groups but scientists are still unsure of the whereabouts of most males in summer.
Many bats use one or more night roosts to rest and digest food.
It is also thought that night roosts may be used as locations to share information about prey availability. Winter hibernacula are shared by both males and females of the same species and may be several hundred kilometers away from summer roosts. The largest known winter population in B.C. consisted of about 50 bats while in Eastern Canada 10 - 15,000 bats roost together. The temperature of the hibernacula is extremely important to the survival of the bats. In too warm a place, bats will starve to death due to the rise in the metabolic rate causing the burn-up of all stored fat reserves.