Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis)
This is a bat species that lives in the southeastern portion of the United States. Its’ distribution spans from Virginia to Florida and as far west as eastern Texas. It roosts in trees in forests, river corridors, and wetlands throughout this range. It is not a species that is going to be found in caves. They are dark brown in color and, at its largest, it can reach 4 and a half inches long. It is commonly mistaken for the Brown bat.
It is an insectivore, like most bat species, and will feed on beetles, moths, flies, and other insects. They do have some natural predators like owls and hawks. Other predators like raccoons and foxes will feed on them if they happen to fall to the ground. They live in smaller colonies of around 30 individuals.
They mate in the late fall and winter and a male will mate with a harem of females. The females will store the sperm until the optimal time to birth young, which for bats is springtime. Females in the northern reaches of their range will migrate south during the winter and will return home in the spring to give birth with the colony. This species is not considered to be a species that requires legal protection.