Wisconsin Scientists Track Tiny Bat With Small Transmitter

Scientists in Wisconsin have tracked the state’s smallest bat by using an ultra-light transmitter that beamed its movement after emerging from hibernation.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that biologists and volunteers followed a female eastern pipistrelle from a Pierce County cave in May to a roosting spot along the Mississippi River. The small bat weighs less than a nickel.

Paul White is a mammal ecologist and manages the state Department of Natural Resources’ bat program. He said the tracking results determined the bat moved the most right after hibernation and didn’t travel far.

Department officials expect the results will help researchers better understand the eastern pipistrelle’s behavior and allow for increased conservation work in areas the animals frequent.

The bat is a threatened species in Wisconsin and is highly vulnerable to white-nose syndrome, a deadly bat disease.