Maternity colony (bats) of a maternity colony. Predators such as hawks and owls can learn to anticipate the emergence of bats from a specific roost at sunset. Smaller colonies are thought to be less risky than larger colonies, because the nightly emergence of bats would attract less attention. 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
Bats of Canada Natural Resources and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The three species in Canada affected by the syndrome have been recommended for endangered species status. These are the little brown bat, northern long-eared myotis, and the Eastern pipistrelle. By 2014, about 99% of brown-nosed bats in New Brunswick had died as a result of the disease, and it is considered functionally extirpated in some parts of eastern Canada. Bats may also transmit rabies to humans. Although rare, a bat bite or scratch, particularly from silver-haired bats, may result in rabies to humans, cats, or dogs. Rabid bats usually lose