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Death on the Beach: Mass Mortality of Eastern Red Bats over Lake Michigan

Ashley K. Wilson1, Allen Kurta1,*, Thomas Kovacs2, Bradford J. Westrich3, Kathryn M. Benavidez Westrich3, and Robin M. Kurta4

1Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. 2Department of Geography and Geology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. 3Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington, IN 47401. 4Beatty Early Learning Center, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. *Corresponding author.

Journal of North American Bat Research Notes, Volume 1 (2023):N1–N6

Abstract
On 29 July 2023, numerous dead bats washed onto the shore of Lake Michigan near Long Beach, Indiana. Based on our field observations, first-hand accounts of residents, and social media posts, hundreds of bats were involved. Almost all were Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bats). The animals probably were part of an early migratory wave that encountered severe thunderstorms over the lake the previous night. Future weather-related mortality seems inevitable as surface temperatures of the Great Lakes rise and lead to an increased frequency and severity of storms, which may exacerbate the current downward trend in the number of Eastern Red Bats and possibly impact other species.

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