Tricolored Bat
Perimyotis subflavus
Summary 3
The eastern pipistrelle (Perimyotis subflavus), also known as the tricolored bat, is a species of bat that is widely distributed throughout the eastern parts of North America, ranging west until Kansas and Texas, from Honduras up north until southern Ontario. It is the only member of the genus Perimyotis.
Description 4
This reddish, yellowish and brownish bat is one of the smallest bats in eastern North America. The forearms are orange to red, and the wing membrane is black. Adults weigh between 4 to 10 g and reach a forearm length of 30 to 35 mm. They are easily distinguished from other similar species by their tricolored fur. These bats were renamed by Dr. Paul Cryan with the US geological survey
Feeding 4
These bats eat small insects. They hunt at the edges of forests, near streams or over open water and can achieve a speed of about 18 km/h. When the pipistrelles capture food they use the tail or wing membranes to restrain their prey. Some insects are even captured by their tail membrane. It forms a pouch and the bat bends its head in to grab the insect with its teeth. They can catch insects as much as every 2 seconds and increase their mass by 25% in only half an hour.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Dave Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidjthomas/2363265178/
- (c) Tim Giller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tim Giller
- Adapted by floracliff from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perimyotis_subflavus
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_pipistrelle
