Hoary Bat (Gettysburg Battlefield Species Identification Guide)

Hoary Bat

Lasiurus cinereus

Appearance ²

13-15 centimeters long with a wingspan of 43 centimeters. It has thick brownish-gray fur with a substantial white tinge, more substantial than the silver-haired bat, but is less tinged on its stomach. It has a yellow face and throat with a black muzzle. Its ears are yellow with a black edge, and it has a short snout.

Habitat ²

Anywhere there is a tree, preferably one with thick foliage. They live in both coniferous and deciduous forests, and they can use trees deep within forests, on forest edges, by forest clearings and in city parks and streets. They roost by day in the leaves but have been known to use woodpecker holes, squirrel nests, planks of wood and, rarely, building overhangs. Most hibernate in the southern part of their range; few if any hibernate in the north.

Behavior/Reproduction ²

Mating season happens during autumn migration. Pregnancy happens the following spring, and females give birth between mid-May and early July to 1-4 young, although usually there are 2. The young learn to fly after 33 days and learn to hunt at the same time.

Hoary bats are solitary, only congregating to migrate or to feed. They are most active five hours after sunset and hunt in treetops and by lake and stream shores. They use echolocation to hunt and make chattering sounds in flight. They hiss if disturbed. Most migrate south in the autumn. Their autumn migration is more organized than their spring migration.

Fun Fact ²

Its name comes from the frosted appearance of its fur.

Citations ²

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Lasiurus_cinereus/

Sources and Credits

More Info

iNat Map

Category	Bats

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Hoary Bat

Appearance 2

Habitat 2

Behavior/Reproduction 2

Fun Fact 2

Citations 2