Tricolored Bat

NPS

Did you know the tricolored bat is the smallest bat in Texas? Because of their small size and slow, fluttery flight pattern, they could almost be mistaken for a large moth!

Jim Hudgins/USFWS

According to Bat Conservation International, tricolored bats "are one of the first bats to emerge in the evenings to hunt and can be distinguished by their fluttering, erratic flight."

Tricolored bats eat A LOT of insects—caddisflies, beetles, and other small insects. So much so, that they increase their body mass as much as 25 percent in just thirty minutes of feeding. They’ve also been found to "feed on large hatches of grain moths emerging from corn cribs, indicating that they may be of important agricultural benefit."

Tri-colored bats are one of the first to enter hibernation and one of the last to emerge in spring. They’re very loyal to their hibernation sites and may return to the same one every winter of their lives.

Tricolored bats have undergone significant declines in many states from White-nose syndrome. As the fungus that causes this condition continues to spread in Texas, tricolored bats are a priority Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Texas. Tricolored bats are also threatened by habitat loss and disturbance of roosting sites.

Landowners, homeowners, and gardeners can play a crucial role in helping tricolored bats, and other bat species in Texas. Here's a few ways:

Take action for bats

How the tricolored bat got their name: Each hair on their back has three distinct color bands—dark at the base, yellowish in the middle, and brown at the tip. ©Ann Froschauer/USFWS, CC BY 2.0

1. Protect natural roost & hibernation sites

Tricolored bats rely on riparian corridors, bottomland hardwoods, and forested patches for foraging and roosting.

Female tricolored bats form small maternity colonies to raise their pups, while males roost alone. During the summer, they primarily roost in tree cavities, rock and bark crevices, and other vegetation. They've been found roosting in tree vegetation and inside hanging clumps of Spanish moss and beard lichen—a clever way to stay hidden and protected during the day.

Tricolored bats are among the first bats to emerge after sunset, often flying low over fields, ponds, and forest edges while hunting for insects. They are excellent at maneuvering through dense forests, flying in slow, fluttery butterfly-like patterns while snatching insects out of the air. They emit very quiet echolocation calls, which makes them hard to detect with standard bat detectors.

During the winter, tricolored bats are primarily reliant on caves, abandoned mines/tunnels, and occasionally bridges, culverts, and buildings for hibernation sites. You can find large numbers of tricolored bats roosting together in hibernacula, but they are not a clustering species like cave myotis or Mexican free-tailed bats—they like their personal space!

Landowners can help tricolored bats by taking the following actions:

Preserving older trees (e.g. oaks, maples, cottonwood), snags (dead trees), and those with peeling bark.
Avoid removing large trees or brush piles near water sources.
If you have a cave or old tunnel/mine on your property, avoid disturbing it, especially in winter months which is their hibernation period.
Plant or protect native hardwoods along streams and rivers.
Reduce clearing of woodlots, streambanks, and wetlands.
Restore degraded areas with native vegetation.
For specific habitat guidance related to your property contact your TPWD wildlife biologist by county HERE.

Tricolored bats hibernating. ©USFWS

2. Promote a bat-friendly garden

Texas happens to be the battiest state in the USA, home to 32 of the nation’s 47 bat species. Texas also boasts the world’s largest known bat colony, Bracken Cave Preserve near San Antonio, and the planet’s largest urban bat colony, Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin.

Bat populations in North America have been declining significantly in recent decades, due to a combination of human-related and environmental factors.

Helping bats is a great way to support local ecosystems, as bats play crucial roles in pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal.

Here are some practical ways homeowners and gardeners can help bats:

Garden with bat-friendly plants that support the insects bats need. For example, planting host plants for moths, will also support bats. See Bat Conservation International's Guide to Gardening for Bats and Creating a Garden for Bats for more tips and details.
Avoid pesticide use. Bats feed heavily on insects—many of which are targeted by agricultural and garden chemicals.
Minimize outdoor lighting. Artificial lights can disturb bat feeding and roosting behavior. Use motion sensors or shielded, low-intensity lighting. Turning off lights is good for migrating birds and native insects, too! Visit Lights Out Texas to learn more.

A few Texas native plants that can help attract insects that support bats:

Frostweed

Spotted Beebalm

Texas Kidneywood

For a few additional bat garden plants of the Texas Coastal Bend visit Bat Conservation International's starter list of regional native plants.

*Pro Tip - Bats love to eat moths so including native moth host plants in your garden can help support bats. And according to BCI, native trees, such as oaks, are especially good at providing a diversity of insects. In addition, native plants that have fragrant, light colored flowers are more likely to attract moths and other nighttime pollinators that bats love to eat.

Tricolored bat & general bat resources:

- For specific habitat guidance related to your property contact your TPWD wildlife biologist by county HERE.

- iNaturalist tricolored bat species overview and observation map HERE.

- Bat Conservation International tricolored bat profile HERE.

- Bat Conservation International's Guide to Gardening for bats HERE.

- Bat Conservation International's list of regional native plants HERE.

- Texas Alliance blog about how the passage of Recovering America's Wildlife Act could help boost bat conservation in Texas HERE.