A rare endangered Indiana Bat was found. My guess is that this not brand new news to most people but where have you seen an Indiana Bat before? I seem to remember having seen one in Bull and Sparta.


http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/0 ... _in_s.html


The Indiana bat, an endangered species, has been discovered at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in northern Sussex County, officials announced today.

The "major discovery" was made by refuge biologists conducting 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 1.5 to 2 inches in length, and closely resembles the little brown bat but has 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.

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 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to look for the bat in other areas.

"The bats don't know or care what is refuge and what isn't," Henry said. "The Endangered Species Act protects the Indiana bat and all other listed species, yet outside of protected areas like the refuge, education and partnerships are also key factors in helping species like the Indiana bat to recover."