They are Little Brown Bats, only about three inches long, and they probably came to hibernate where the temperature doesn't get below freezing. A few days later, it was warmer, so I left the doors open for them to get out and gobble up some of the many insects that were flying around. When Lissa came up, I told her I had new critters. She was as delighted as I was with such a rare find.
Later, there was only one of them and it had moved to another wall. The other one may still be on the far wall, but they are so small they are easy to miss. Now I am tiptoeing around, trying not to disturb them. Lissa told me to stop taking pictures because the flash disturbs their sleep.
I put a remote temperature sensor down there, which shows that it stays in the mid-thirties, their perfect hibernation zone. I'm leaving the door open about an inch for them to get out. Lis did some research and found they squeeze through a small opening. Not as I thought, an aerial maneuver in the style of a Spitfire aircraft.
They aren't an endangered species, but they are threatened, so it is an honor to provide habitat for such helpful little mammals.
