The
desert red bat, also known as the Western Red Bat, is one of many species of bats. This particular one is from the Vespertilionidae family which is the largest family. It includes 35
generaIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
and 318
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. It is also known as the evening bat family.
See also Western bats which are relative species.
Habitat
The desert red bat has been found around North America, ranging from southern Canada down to Central America and to the northern part of South America. These bats are similar to birds. They migrate to the southern parts of the world when it gets cold and head north when the weather starts to warm up in northern hemispheres of the world. Most people would think that the Desert Red Bat would live in the desert but it does not. The 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 hang upside down from a tree branch from one foot because they are trying to blend in with their surroundings, such as dead leaves. Another myth that people assume is that bats will be found in caves or dark holes. This is not true for the Desert Bat. They do not live there because it is neither warm nor dry. Caves are wet and cool. The Desert Bat is not like any other bat because it does not have the same characteristics as a normal bat.
Diet and hunting
The Desert Bat eats a variety of insects. They eat moths, flies, true bugs, beetles, and cicadas. Normally the bat does not come out during the day, they are called nocturnal. Therefore, they come out during the night and hunt. They do not use their eyes to hunt, they use their voices to make echoes and the echoes help them make pictures in their minds about what is around. The only things that they have to be aware of are their enemies which are owls, blue jays, and opossum.
Reproduction
The Bats mate during August and September. The female can have one to four pups at a time. The pups stay in their mother’s body for about 90 days then they are born. Before the bats are able to fly the mother carries up to four pups at a time. It takes up to six weeks for the bats to fly by themselves and one to three years to mature.
Interesting facts
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.
External links
The source of this article is
wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the
GFDL.
