10 Fun Facts About the 16 Species of Bats Found in Kentucky

Though I live in the city limits of Owensboro, I have a bat that occasionally perches itself- upside down, of course- from the rafters of my front porch. I have had one that's shown up for a couple of years now. Once it arrives, it typically hangs around for a while. Yes! That pun was intended.

See, bats are quite common here in Kentucky. When I was a kid, they used to fly around our house out in East Daviess County. There, I am pretty sure they lived in our chimney and we'd typically only see them when it was dark outside. Same goes for the bat I have now. I see it occasionally and it's always at dusk or after.

I learned something fascinating this week. Kentucky is actually home to sixteen different species of bats. I'll be honest. I had no idea we had that many different types of bats flying around this state. I mean, I know there are tons of species of bats around the world (some of which are alarmingly large), but didn't expect quite the variety here in the Commonwealth.

Bats are fascinating creatures and here are some fun facts about the ones making their home in Kentucky.

Sadly, three of Kentucky's bat species- the Indiana bat, the Virginia big-eared bat, and the gray bat- are endangered. So, it's best that we all work together to protect them. One way to do that is not be scared of them when you see them. For example,if you get a bat in your house (which is possible), simply dim the interior lights, turn on an outside light and leave the door open. That bat will quickly make its way back outside.

For more information about the species of bats found here in Kentucky, you can visit the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' official website.