Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
They wrap their heavily furred tail membranes around their bodies like a blanket to stay warm while roosting, perfectly mimicking a dead leaf.
- Scientific name
- Lasiurus borealis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Chiroptera › Vespertilionidae › Lasiurus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed coniferous forests, woodlots, and suburban parks.
- Diet
- Flying insects, including moths, beetles, flies, and cicadas.
- Range
- North America, Eastern United States, Southern Canada, Northeastern Mexico
- Size
- Wingspan of 28-33 cm (11-13 in), weight of 7-13 grams
- Lifespan
- 2 to 5 years in the wild
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Wind energy turbines, habitat loss, and pesticide use which reduces their insect food source.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and highly beneficial insect eaters. If spotted roosting in trees, maintain a respectful distance of 5+ feet to avoid disturbing them. Never handle a wild bat with bare hands due to the risk of defensive bites and rabies transmission. If bitten or scratched, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention.
The eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis ) is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern red bats are widespread across eastern North America, with additional records in Bermuda. They are also present, though rare, throughout many of the Bahamian islands. The eastern red bat is closely related to the desert red bat ( Lasiurus blossevillii ); the two species are sometimes collectively referred to simply as red bats .
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/a6dad856-6cfc-4553-af15-9e409669b18c.md