First Ever Evening Bat Patient Admitted to NoCo Wildlife Center
Last month, our team admitted a bat we initially believed to be one of Colorado’s more common species. But during her exam, our staff and supporters noticed subtle physical traits that didn’t quite add up. Rather than assuming, we looked closer. After collaborating with CSU’s bat biologists, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and other bat experts, she was confirmed to be an evening bat — marking the first known record in northern Colorado and only the fourth documented in the entire state. Evening bats are typically found in the southeastern and central United States, which makes her presence here especially rare. While we don’t yet know exactly why she appeared in this region, possibilities include natural dispersal, shifting habitat conditions, broader environmental changes, or even an existing colony that has simply gone undocumented. Wildlife rehabilitation centers are often on the front lines of detecting changes in species distribution. Careful intake, strong...