Maternity colony (bats) Maternity colony (bats) A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups. The colonies are initiated by pregnant bats. After giving birth, the colony consists of the lactating females and their offspring. After weaning, juveniles will leave the maternity colony, and the colony itself will break apart. The size of a maternity colony is highly variable by species, with some species forming colonies consisting of ten or fewer individuals, while the largest maternity colony in the world in Bracken Cave is estimated to have over 15 million bats.
Bats of Canada Bats of Canada There are eighteen indigenous species of bats in Canada, which are found in many parts of the country. They are insectivores, and are prey to falcons, hawks, owls, snakes, cats, and raccoons. The little brown bat is the most common and widely distributed of Canada's bat species, more prevalent in Eastern Canada than in Western Canada or Northern Canada. The nocturnal bat roosts in dark places during the day, and preys on insects at night. Their echolocation calls are emitted 20 times per second, increasing to 200 times per second while chasing prey. The habitat range of