vs Cluster Bat

Chroococcus cohaerens compared with Myotis sodalis

Key Differences

• is Not Evaluated while Cluster Bat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Cluster Bat
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Cyanobacteriia	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Cyanobacteriales	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Microcystaceae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Chroococcus	Myotis
Species	Chroococcus cohaerens	Myotis sodalis

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Cluster Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Chroococcus cohaerens is a species of cyanobacteria in the family Chroococcaceae, documented from freshwater and aquatic environments. Chroococcus is a genus of small, spherical to hemispherical cyanobacterial cells that typically occur in pairs or small groups of two to four cells, surrounded by individual sheaths that are embedded within a common gelatinous matrix. The cells are dark olive-green to blue-green in color due to the presence of phycocyanin and chlorophyll a pigments. Cyanobacteria of the genus Chroococcus are common components of the periphyton and plankton of nutrient-moderate freshwater bodies in temperate regions. They are found attached to submerged substrates or floating in the water column. Chroococcus species have been documented from a wide range of geographic regions including Scandinavia, where many of the described species in this genus were originally characterized. The species has no significant economic importance and is not considered a bloom-forming taxon. Its conservation status has not been assessed by the IUCN, consistent with the general approach to prokaryotic microorganisms in conservation frameworks.

Cluster Bat

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.