How scared are you when it comes to bats? Well, almost everyone runs, hides or ducks if they see a bat coming their way. However, there are some who, despite their fear, are fascinated by bats. They admire them especially when they hang upside down sleeping but they are more captivated if they see one swoop across their path. A beautiful, mesmerizing bat is found deep within the rainforest of Guyana, it is called the desert red bat.
Desert Red Bat | https://reidaboutbats.files.wordpress.com
What Is The Desert Red Bat?
The desert red bat, also known as the western red bat, or southern red bat, is one of many species of bats. This particular one is from the family Vespertilionidae, which is the largest bat family. This species and its relative Lasiurus borealis are sometimes just referred to as red bats. The red bat is a medium sized bat with brown, reddish fur covering most of its body, including the uropatagium (the membrane between the legs and tail). It is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful bat species.
Features Of The Desert Red Bat
- Fur – Its dense shaggy fur ranges from brownish-yellow to an almost bright reddish-orange with white hair tips and white fur on its neck.
- Eyes – It has small eyes and therefore uses echolocation and its good sense of hearing to catch prey. The frequency of its echolocation is 35-50 kHz.
- Ears – Its ears are low, broad and rounded with a triangular tragus.
- Limb – Each limb has five digits and each digit has a claw. This allows the bat to grip and hang on to objects.
- Wings – Its wings are thin, membranous and black in color. They are also long, narrow, and pointed.
- Tail – Its tail is long and extends straight behind the body; a feature which distinguishes it from other species. The top of its tail membrane is furred.
- Length & Weight – Adults are 95-126mm in length from snout to tail. The length of the tail is 45-62mm and the length of the forearm is 37.5-42mm. An adult red bat weighs 7-16g. The wingspan is 11.4-13 inches (29.0-33.2 cm).
Scientific Classification Of The Desert Red Bat
Desert Red Bat – Lasiurus blossevillii [Scientific name]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Chiroptera
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Genus: Lasiurus
- Species: L. blossevillii
Habitat Of The Desert Red Bat
The desert red bat has been found around North America, ranging from southern Canada, through the western United States, down to Central America and to the northern part of South America. The species is recorded in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador (Galápagos Islands), El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. These bats are migratory, similar to birds. They migrate to the southern parts of the Americas when it gets cold, and head north when the weather starts to warm up in northern parts.
Did You Know?
- The common name implies that the desert red bat lives in the desert, but it does not. Unlike many bats, which roost in caves, desert red bats will most likely be found in the forest roosting under leaves. They do this because they are either trying to eat or hide from predators.
- The bats prefer riparian areas dominated by walnuts, oaks, willows, cottonwoods, and sycamores where they roost in these broad-leafed trees. They roost only in tree foliage. The trees that they live in are often close to rivers and other bodies of water, as well as fruit trees in orchards.
Reproduction Of The Desert Red Bat
Breeding occurs from August to October and the female will store sperm until the following spring when fertilization begins. After a gestation of 60-70 days, a female gives birth generally to a litter of two offspring from late May to mid-June. Before the bats are able to fly, the mother carries up to four pups at a time. It takes up to four to six weeks for the bats to fly by themselves and one to three years to mature. The estimated life span of the red bat is 12 years.
Tip: The bats hang upside down from a tree branch from one foot because they are trying to blend in with their surroundings, such as dead leaves.
Diet And Hunting Lifestyle Of The Red Bat
Red bats begin foraging 1-2 hours after dark and may continue into the following morning. They are known to feed 600-1000 yards from their roosting site and will forage from tree-top level to a few feet above the ground. They eat moths, flies, true bugs, flying ants, beetles, and cicadas. They are nocturnal animals (active at night). They use animal echolocation to hunt as well as their wing membranes to capture prey and will sometimes land on vegetation to catch an insect. Red bats commonly forage near light sources, which attract insects. When searching, they use long calls with a low pulse repetition of narrow band frequencies. While they hunt, they have to be aware of predators, which include owls, blue jays, raccoons, opossum, falcons, roadrunners and feral cats.
The Desert Red Bats In Guyana
Despite their bright color, these bats are well camouflaged in their tree roosts. When they fold their wings over their bodies they resemble dead leaves. Male and female red bats have different migrating routines. Female bats are usually found in warmer climates during the month of June. Males are mostly found in the Appalachian Highlands. Due to the difference in migrating patterns, it makes it harder for them to breed because they are constantly in a different part of the world. Despite all of this, Guyana is privilege to have some of the most beautiful desert red bats in their vast rainforest.
Article References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_red_bat
- https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Lasiurus_blossevillii%20-%20Red%20Bat.pdf
- https://www.lcrmscp.gov/species/western_red.html
- http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Lasiurus_blossevillii/
- https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/bats/western_red_bat.php
