Do Bats Feed in Winter?

Examination of the entire digestive tracts of northern bats, Myotis septentrionalis, and little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus, demonstrates that these species were not feeding when flying outside in winter. Remnants of insect material from meals eaten much earlier, soft white material, and particulate material and fecal plugs were often present. The white material was present throughout the winter though it decreased in amount with contraction of the digestive tract late in hibernation. The particulate material moved through the digestive tract and formed fecal plugs at the posterior end of the intestines. We suspect it might be particles of insect remnants.