Stats

Lifespan: 10-12 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Insectivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Eastern North America
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Live birth
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

A solitary, fox-colored bat of eastern North American forests that roosts hanging by one foot among dead leaves, its fur-wrapped body mimicking a curled leaf. Unlike most bats, females often bear and carry up to four pups in flight, far more than the one or two typical of other species.

Life cycle

1.
newborn pup
A hairless pup clings to its mother in the roost, nursing and growing rapidly.
2.
juvenile
A furred juvenile is left in a nursery cluster while its mother forages, gaining strength in its wings.
3.
fledgling
A near-adult bat takes its first short flights and begins catching prey or feeding on its own.
4.
adult
Fully grown, flying and foraging confidently.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Lasiurus
Species: Lasiurus borealis