Seminole bat study underway at Nature’s Nursery

Nature’s Nursery Wildlife Rescue has been taking care of sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals in the Northwest Ohio area for more than 33 years. While best known for such as nursing baby bunnies back to health and repairing wings on flightless birds, Nature’s Nursery is also a leader in wildlife and environmental research as recently proven in its participation in a state-wide bat study from a recent rare rescue.
In October 2021, Nature’s Nursery admitted a bat that was injured in a wind farm in Paulding County. The bat was identified as a Seminole bat which is not native to this area.
Seminole bats are rarely reported north of Tennessee with their most prominent habitats being along the gulf coast and in the Everglades.
The injured bat was treated at Nature’s Nursery but classified as “non-releasable” from its injuries and Nature’s Nursery obtained the permits to keep it for education purposes.
Last month, Nature’s Nursery was contacted by a bat biologist in Ohio along with a group of other researcher organizations, including Bat Conservation International, to gain further information about the Seminole Bat.
While information was being shared with these experts, and DNA testing conducted to positively identify the bat as a Seminole, a second bat found in Lucas County was brought to Nature’s Nursery and also identified as a Seminole bat. Although the second bat was deceased, the positive DNA testing listing both as Seminoles is intriguing to researchers.
“Finding both of these bats in our area in such a close time period presents a lot of questions for us” stated Laura Zitzelberger, Nature’s Nursery co-founder. “In my 33 years of wildlife rehab we have come across some very interesting cases and we love participating in studies like this that really help to identify changing patterns in wildlife behaviors.”
With native bat populations down an estimated 75 percent due to habitat destruction and white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection deadly to bats, Nature’s Nursery works to protect and rehab all bats that are admitted for care.
“Bats are really important to the environment and function as an important indicator species, meaning they help us identify areas that are flourishing ecologically or areas that are out of balance” stated Allison Schroeder, Nature’s Nursery executive director. “The Seminole bats being found this far north provide an interesting study of habitat and climate changes for the species.”
Further information is being gathered about the Seminole bats and an in-depth study is being conducted by Five Rivers Metroparks in the Dayton area.
The Nature’s Nursery Education Seminole bat will be used for education programs throughout the community and will be on display at the new facility when it opens around the first of the year. The bat has not yet been named but a $2,000 naming sponsorship is available for purchase.