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Seasonal restriction on tree cutting: Only cut trees when Indiana bats are hibernating or concentrated near their hibernacula. For project areas affecting Indiana bat swarming habitat (near hibernacula), only cut trees between November 15 and March For project areas affecting Indiana bat summer habitat, only cut trees between October 15 and March.

Some caves are fitted with gates to keep people out, but improper gating that prevents access by bats or alters air flow, temperature, or humidity can be harmful.

Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat Updated Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO) – Technical Guidance. 1. Literature Search: Prior to doing field work, the consultant shall contact United States Fish and Wildlife Servicethe -Columbus Field Office (USFWS-COFO) to determine if the project is within a bat buffer. Any Ohio project that is not within a known bat record buffer, and tree clearing between April 1 and September 31 is being proposed, may have a presence/absence survey conducted between June 1 and August 15 following the range-wide guidance.

If a presence/absence survey is not performed, presence of listed bats is assumed. Female Indiana bats form maternity colonies in the summer, typically under the loose bark of dead, dying, or mature trees and in tree hollows.

Maternity colonies can have up to adult females. Females often use a primary roost and several alternate roost trees within feet of one another. Males are thought to roost alone or in small. Jan 02, The Indiana bat is quite small, weighing only three-tenths of an ounce (about the weight of three pennies). In flight, it has a wingspan of 9 to 11 inches. The fur is dark- brown to black- and the bat is similar in appearance to many other related species.

Species experts can distinguish Indiana bats by other characteristics, such as the. Understanding the Basics of Bat-Based Tree Clearing Restrictions. Overall, standard tree clearing season in IN, OH, and MI runs from October 1-March However, additional restrictions may apply based on location, including species range and proximity to known bat habitat.

Indiana bats are found throughout Ohio and Indiana but only in the southern portion of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.