Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis)

Eastern red bats are a solitary woodland bat that has a far-reaching range east of the continental divide. This range spans the eastern United States, Canada, and northeastern Mexico. They prefer to roost in trees amongst the foliage and prefer trees on fence rows or on the edge of forested areas. They can also be found in leaf litter and inside hollowed out logs. They are not normally noticed because they blend in with the leaves of their roosting trees.

Their color is similar to that of brick red and has areas on the body that are frosted with white tipped fur, like on the shoulders. They are insectivores that feed on flying insects and can reach lengths of around 5 inches. They breed in the fall, but the females store the sperm until early spring until they ovulate. They birth their young in late May or early June.

They are a migratory animal that will travel to the warmer southern areas of their range in the winter and travel north in the spring and summer. They do have some natural predators like Blue Jays and other predators, like foxes and coyotes, will eat them if they are found in leaf litter. This species of bats is not considered to be threatened because of their range and strong population numbers.

Bat Species Of Houston Texas