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Description: The fur of
male eastern red bats is usually brick-red in color, but can be
reddish-orange or yellowish-red. The fur of female red bats is
duller and lighter in color. This is unusual because color
differences between male and female bats is rare. A patch of white
fur is often found on the shoulders and wrists. The eastern red bat
and the Seminole bat are closely related, and similar in appearance, but
the fur of the Seminole bat is more mahogany in color, and there are no
color differences between male and female Seminole bats.
Wingspan:
11-13 inches
Body length:
2.0-2.4 inches
Weight:
0.3-0.5 ounces
Florida roosting preferences:
Solitary. Roosts in tree foliage or bushes. It usually hangs from
small branches or twigs, and appears much like a dead leaf.
Food preferences:
Insectivorous. Feeds on moths, beetles, mosquitoes, leafhoppers,
planthoppers, flies, and other insects. Although they capture most
of their prey in the air, they have occasionally been observed gleaning
insects from objects and the ground. Can often be seen foraging for
insects around streetlights.
Reproduction: Females
give birth to one to four pups in late May or early June.
Florida status: Common in
north Florida and decrease in abundance to the south.
Florida range: Found
in north and central Florida, but not south Florida or the Florida Keys.
Copyright Florida Bat Center 2005
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