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little brown bat

noun
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Definition of little brown bat

: a small widely distributed insectivorous North American bat (Myotis lucifugus) with brown fur

Examples of little brown bat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The little brown bat population has been hurt by a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome, which kills bats by increasing the amount of energy used during hibernation, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. — USA TODAY, "Navajo ‘Baby Shark,’ Stanley Hotel, final ‘Plunge for Pete’: News from around our 50 states," 31 Dec. 2019 Reimer has held in her hands little brown bats from the Northwest Territories to the Tanana River. — Anchorage Daily News, "What colonies and shoulder-season sightings tell us about Alaska’s little brown bats," 9 Nov. 2019 The once-common little brown bat may be reduced to just 1% of its pre-white-nose syndrome population by 2030, according to Bat Conservation International. — Patrick M. O'connell, chicagotribune.com, "Bats live mostly out of sight and out of mind. But their falling numbers are a reason to look up and worry, scientists say.," 31 Oct. 2019 The little brown bat — that’s its official name — is known for doing this. — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "Why are bats taking night time break on Bay Area front porch?," 11 Sep. 2019 The little brown bat population has declined by up to 90% in Vermont. — USA TODAY, "Whiskey webs, alien abductions, goldfish invasion: News from around our 50 states," 25 June 2019 The department says the little brown bat is endangered in the state, and long-term volunteer monitoring is critical to its management and recovery. — USA TODAY, "Whiskey webs, alien abductions, goldfish invasion: News from around our 50 states," 25 June 2019 About 200 female little brown bats have made their nesting homes in a shelter at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Five cool bat facts," 23 Apr. 2018 Back at Fort Drum, for instance, the little brown bat maternal colony seemed headed for extinction. — Rachel Kaufman, Smithsonian, "Three Ways Bats Could Bounce Back From Devastating White Nose Syndrome," 18 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'little brown bat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of little brown bat

1842, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of little brown bat was in 1842

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Statistics for little brown bat

Last Updated

28 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Little brown bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/little%20brown%20bat. Accessed 27 Feb. 2020.

More from Merriam-Webster on little brown bat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about little brown bat

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