Critter of the Week: Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus)

One of my all time favorite animals is the Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus) . A member of the Vespertilionidae family, these bats are solitary roosters that often use pine trees or Spanish moss for roosts. The rich mahogany color of their fur with its white tips is great camouflage, and when one hangs from a single foot in a tree they look like a dead leaf! There are also often white patches at the wrists and shoulders. These bats are found throughout Florida (except the Keys), up to North Carolina, and along the Gulf to eastern Texas.

 Seminole bats are medium-sized. They have wingspans from 11-13 inches and weigh 9-14 grams. Just for comparison, a US minted nickel weighs exactly 5 grams! These bats forage on insects such as moths, beetles, flies, and more. Females give birth to 1 to 4 young but in Florida it is typically 3 or 4 pups, born in mid-May to mid-June. These pups will take their first flights when they reach 3 to 4 weeks old.

For more information visit these websites:
Florida Bat Conservancy
Bat Conservation International