The Indiana Bat is a medium sized bat and is dull gray and chestnut in color. Its underside is a pinkish color. Females and their young roost in small colonies (50-100) under tree bark during the summer months.  They live along streams where they can get a supply of insects.
    They are a migratory animal. They migrate to  a more northern habitat for the summer. Some males remain in the hibernating area for the summer.
    During hibernation, they need limestone caves with the temperatures ranging between 39 degrees and 46 degrees.  Only a few caves meet the required conditions for the bats to survive. Most of the Indiana Bats hibernate in seven caves. .  They mate in the fall and begin to hibernate in October. They should not be disturbed during hibernation.

Reasons for the species decline:

     The most serious threat to the bat is the disturbance of hibernating colonies by people.  Flooding of winter caves and the collapse of the ceilings of the caves have also destroyed  their habitat.  Pesticides, making the caves commercial, and channeling streams of water to different locations have caused their decline.

Protection:

    The main conservation effort has been to control the access of people into the caves by installing gates over the entrance of the caves.  Efforts are continuing to reduce pesticides in the environment that destroy the bats.  Some privately owned caves are being bought to protect the bats.