Night hikes on Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 offer opportunities to see bats at sunset at Sodalis Nature Preserve

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hannibal Parks and Recreation will offer two opportunities for participants to see bats at sunset at Sodalis Nature Preserve. Night hikes will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 12, and Saturday, Oct. 19. Both hikes will be led by Gale Rublee, a nationally certified interpreter guide with more than 25 years of experience in outdoor education.

The full night hike program lasts about two hours and follows a 2-mile paved trail. Participants are welcome to stay with the group or return to the parking lot on their own. Activities include seasonal observations, sensory activities and the telling of the creation of Sodalis Nature Preserve.

The hikes are free but reservations must be made on the Hannibal Parks and Recreation website at https://hannibalparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program.

Each fall, Indiana bats migrate from their summer habitats to congregate in the vicinity of their hibernation sites, which include caves and abandoned mine shafts. During this time, the bats engage in mating activity and feeding in the surrounding area to build the fat reserves needed during hibernation. The bats then hibernate from late October to April.

The scientific name of Indiana bats is myotis sodalis and scientists have determined that more than 250,000 of these endangered bats hibernate in the abandoned limestone mines at Sodalis Nature Preserve. Myotis means “mouse ear” and refers to the relatively small, mouse-like ears of the bats. Sodalis is the Latin word for “companion” and is a reference to the very social nature of the species.