Where do Colorado’s bats go in winter? Some migrate south, while others hibernate in caves, rock crevices and abandoned mines. Abandoned mines make a surprisingly important bat habitat, with cool, stable temperatures. Before winter, a big brown bat may gain 30 percent of its body weight in fat, then slow its heartbeat from hundreds of beats a minute to around ten. Some unsafe abandoned mines are even secured with special gates that keep people out but let bats through. Come spring, these night-shift bats return to gobbling moths, crop pests, and mosquitoes.
Growing Home: Colorado's Bats
