Basic Information
The western red bat is a solitary, medium sized bat similar in appearance to the eastern red bat.Their color is rusty red to brownish, and lacks the white-tipped hairs which gives the frosted appearance so characteristic of the eastern red bat.They prefer areas where they can roost in tree foliage such as cottonwoods, oaks, sycamores, and walnuts.They feed heavily on moths and beetles, and often live in orchards. They are unique because like the parti-colored bat, they possess an extra pair of nipples.This allows them to suckle more than the one pup per season (most bats only have one). In June, females usually give birth to three or four young, and she roosts with her young until they are weaned.The pups are large and are 1/3 their mom’s size at birth. The pups will begin flying at three to four weeks.
Fun Facts
When roosting, they hang upside down from twigs, and despite their bright color, these bats camouflage well. When they fold their wings over their bodies, they resemble dead leaves. They will often fly in daylight, especially when in the company of migratory birds.