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Fall is the time of harvest and plenty and it’s also the time when animals are preparing for winter. Some animals prepare by storing fat in their bodies for lean times, while others hibernate. Some escape winter by migrating to warm areas. Bats in Maryland do all three! All bats spend the fall busily scarfing down as many insects as they can so they have enough fat reserves to live on when insects are dormant or not available. Other bats go “clubbing” to caves and mines, which serve as good places to find a mate before entering hibernation. And still others leave for winter homes in more southerly climes. Hmmm, sounds like some people you know? To Discover Maryland’s Bats and learn about the interesting lives bats lead check out our Wildlife and Heritage content area.
 Spooky Stuff at State Parks
“Whether you believe in ghosts, apparitions and poltergeists or not, the fact that Maryland's public lands have experienced more than their fair share of tragedy and unexplained phenomena is undisputable. And Point Lookout State Park, located at the southernmost tip of Maryland's western shore, undoubtedly has the most grisly history of any of the state's parks,” - Dorcas Coleman, “Who’s Afraid of Ghosts?”, The Natural Resource Magazine, Fall 2001. DNR has resurrected this tale and added other ghostly legends from Spooky State Parks to celebrate Halloween 2004. Plus, find out about seasonal events sponsored by the State Forest & Park Service. Read more...

[Wildlife and Heritage Service]
Discover Maryland's Bats

photo of two Hoary Bats in Flight  

Hoary Bats

 

Photo by: Dr. J. Scott Altenbach

Click to Hear Hoary Bat Call
(.wav file - Opens with Windows Media Player)

Bats! OK, so the mere thought of them gives you the Stephen King creeps and sends you running for cover.

Try thinking of them as furry purple martins clearing the night skies of insects that damage crops and gardens and spread diseases. Bats are the major predator performing this ecological miracle during the night shift. Just one bat can eat over a thousand insects each night. 

The only problem is that bat populations of all species are declining throughout North America. Whether you’ve just discovered bats living in your house  or you want to put up a bat box, you can be part of the conservation solution.

An 8th grader at Cockeysville Middle School was interested in doing something to help endangered species as part of his school project.  He chose the Indiana Bat.  Click here to read Aaron's essay on how people can help endangered bats.

Any bat regardless of age, can be rehabilitated. If you should find an injured bat, there are only a few licensed Master Wildlife Rehabilitators in Maryland qualified to work with bats.  They are:

  • Noah's Ark
    Arnold, Anne Arundel Co 
    (410) 626-7700

  • Mary E. Martin
    California, St. Mary's Co.
    (240) 586-0765 (H)
    (301) 342-7643 (W)

  • Second Chance Wildlife Rescue
    Gaithersburg, Montgomery Co.
    (301) 926-9453

  • Orphaned Wildlife Rescue
    Lusby, Calvert Co.
    (410) 326-0937

 

All contents (c) 2004 Maryland Department of Natural Resources. All rights reserved.
This page last updated April 08, 2008