Maternity colony

A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups.

Maternity colonies are especially prevalent in temperate regions due to the thermal benefits of roosting with other individuals.

[1] Outside of the winter months, non-reproductive females and male bats enter torpor for short periods to conserve energy when temperatures are below an optimum threshold.

However, torpor is detrimental to reproductive females because it delays the development of the fetus and slows milk production.

Roosting in a large group allows females to share body heat, lowering the energetic costs for individuals.