Most of the many

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

species found in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

are insectivorous except for three flower eating species that migrate from Mexico and one that inhabits the Florida Keys. __TOC__

Species

Big brown bat eats a meal worm (7241384196)

Bats belong to the biological order of

Chiroptera Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bir ...

. The bat families found in North America are

Vespertilionidae Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat familie ...

, Molossidae,

Mormoopidae The family Mormoopidae contains bats known generally as mustached bats, ghost-faced bats, and naked-backed bats. They are found in the Americas from the Southwestern United States to Southeastern Brazil. They are distinguished by the presence ...

and Phyllostomidae.

Molossidae

* Florida bonneted bat ''Eumops floridanus'' * Wagner's bonneted bat ''Eumops glaucinis'' *

Western mastiff bat The western mastiff bat (''Eumops perotis''), also known as the western bonneted bat, the greater mastiff bat, or the greater bonneted bat, is a member of the free-tailed bat family, Molossidae. It is found in the Western United States, Mexico a ...

''Eumops perotis'' * Underwood's bonneted bat ''Eumops underwoodi'' *

Velvety free-tailed bat The velvety free-tailed bat or Pallas's mastiff bat (''Molossus molossus''), is a bat species in the family Molossidae. Description ''M. molossus'' is a medium-sized bat, with a length of and with a wingspan of . This species is brown in color ...

''Molossus molossus'' * Pocketed free-tailed bat ''Nyctinomops femorosaccus'' * Big free-tailed bat ''Nyctinomops macrotis'' *

Mexican free-tailed bat The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has been ...

''Tadarida brasiliensis''

Mormoopidae

Ghost-faced bat The ghost-faced bat (''Mormoops megalophylla'') is a bat in the genus ''Mormoops''. It is one of only two extant species within its genus, the other being the much smaller ''Mormoops blainvillii''. They are nocturnal and hunt using Animal echolo ...

''Mormoops megalophylla''

Phyllostomidae

Jamaican fruit bat The Jamaican, common or Mexican fruit bat (''Artibeus jamaicensis'') is a fruit-eating bat native to Mexico, through Central America to northwestern South America, as well as the Greater and many of the Lesser Antilles. It is also an uncommon re ...

''Artibeus jamaicensis'' (Florida Keys only) *

Mexican long-tongued bat The Mexican long-tongued bat (''Choeronycteris mexicana'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is the only species within the genus ''Choeronycteris''. The species is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and th ...

''Choeronycteris mexicana'' *

Mexican long-nosed bat The greater long-nosed bat or Mexican long-nosed bat (''Leptonycteris nivalis'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. It chiefly consumes pollen and nectar, particularly from agave plan ...

''Leptonycteris nivalis'' *

California leaf-nosed bat The California leaf-nosed bat (''Macrotus californicus'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. Habitat California leaf-nosed bats can be found in ...

''Macrotus californicus''

Vespertilionidae

* Pallid bat ''Antrozous pallidus'' * Rafinesque's big-eared bat ''Corynorhinus rafinesquii'' *

Townsend's big-eared bat Townsend's big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus townsendii'') is a species of vesper bat. Description Townsend's big-eared bat is a medium-sized bat (7-12 g)

''Corynorhinus townsendii'' *

Big brown bat The big brown bat (''Eptesicus fuscus'') is a species of vesper bat distributed widely throughout North America, the Caribbean, and the northern portion of South America. It was first described as a species in 1796. Compared to other microbat ...

''Eptesicus fuscus'' *

Spotted bat The spotted bat (''Euderma maculatum'') is a species of vesper bat and the only species of the genus ''Euderma''. Description The spotted bat was first described by zoologist Joel Asaph Allen from the American Museum of Natural History in 1891. ...

''Euderma maculatum'' * Allen's big-eared bat ''Idionycteris phyllotis'' *

Silver-haired bat The silver-haired bat (''Lasionycteris noctivagans'') is a solitary migratory species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae and the only member of the genus ''Lasionycteris''. Etymology The species name translates as night-wandering, ref ...

''Lasionycteris noctivagans'' *

Western red bat The western red bat or desert red bat (''Lasiurus frantzii'') is a species of microbat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in western North America and Central America. Taxonomy Previously, it was believed to be a subspecies of the ...

''Lasiurus blossevillii'' *

Eastern red bat The eastern red bat (''Lasiurus borealis'') is a species of microbat in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern red bats are widespread across eastern North America, with additional records in Bermuda. Taxonomy and etymology It was described in 1 ...

''Lasiurus borealis'' *

Hoary bat The hoary bat (''Lasiurus cinereus'') is a species of bat in the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. It lives throughout most of North America (possibly including Hawaii, although this is disputed). Taxonomy The hoary bat was described as a ...

''Lasiurus cinereus'' *

Southern yellow bat The southern yellow bat (''Dasypterus ega'') is a species of vesper bat that belongs to suborder microchiroptera (microbat) in the family Vespertilionidae. It is native to South, North and Central America, from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas i ...

''Lasiurus ega'' *

Seminole bat The Seminole bat (''Lasiurus seminolus'') is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Taxonomy The Seminole bat was first described in 1895 by Samuel N. Rhoads. The holotype had been collected in Tarpon Springs, Florida in 1892 by Wi ...

''Lasiurus seminolus'' * Southwestern myotis ''Myotis auriculus'' *

Southeastern myotis The southeastern myotis (''Myotis austroriparius'') is a small bat found throughout the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain of the southeastern United States. Description The southeastern myotis weighs 5–8 g. Its die ...

''Myotis austroriparius'' *

California myotis The California myotis (''Myotis californicus'') is a species of vesper bat. It is found in British Columbia in Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, and in the western United States, including California. Description The California myotis is a small (70– ...

''Myotis californicus'' * Western small-footed myotis ''Myotis ciliolabrum'' *

Long-eared myotis The long-eared myotis (''Myotis evotis'') is a species of vesper bat in the suborder Microchiroptera. It can be found in western Canada, the western United States, and Baja California in Mexico. Description The long-eared myotis is a pale brown ...

''Myotis evotis'' * Gray bat ''Myotis grisescens'' *

Keen's myotis Keen's myotis (''Myotis keenii'') is a species of vesper bat. It is found in British Columbia in Canada and in Washington and Alaska in the United States. It is named after the Rev. John Henry Keen, who collected the specimen that formed the bas ...

''Myotis keenii'' *

Eastern small-footed myotis The eastern small-footed bat (''Myotis leibii'') is a species of vesper bat. It can be found in southern Ontario and Quebec in Canada and in mountainous portions of the eastern United States from New England to northern Georgia, and westward to n ...

''Myotis leibii'' *

Little brown bat The little brown bat or little brown myotis (''Myotis lucifugus'') is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-ea ...

''Myotis lucifugus'' *

Arizona myotis The Arizona myotis (''Myotis occultus'') is a vesper bat species inhabiting much of the southwestern United States and central Mexico as far south as the Distrito Federal. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1909 by Amer ...

''Myotis occultus'' * Northern long-eared myotis ''Myotis septentrionalis'' *

Indiana bat The Indiana bat (''Myotis sodalis'') is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. It lives primarily in Southern and Midwestern U.S. states and is listed as an endangered species. The Indiana bat is grey, black, or chestnut in colo ...

''Myotis sodalis'' * Fringed myotis ''Myotis thysanodes'' *

Cave myotis The cave myotis (''Myotis velifer'') is a species of vesper bat (''Vespertilionidae'') in the genus ''Myotis''. Description It is larger than most other bats in the ''Myotis'' group, with a forearm of . The bat is brown with short ears, and can ...

''Myotis velifer'' *

Long-legged myotis The long-legged myotis (''Myotis volans'') is a species of vesper bat that can be found in western Canada, Mexico, and the western United States. Description ''Myotis volans'' is a species of bat found in Order Chiroptera, Family Vespertillion ...

''Myotis volans'' * Yuma myotis ''Myotis yumanensis'' *

Evening bat The evening bat (''Nycticeius humeralis'') is a species of bat in the vesper bat family that is native to North America. Hunting at night, they eat beetles, moths, and other flying insects. Description The evening bat is a small bat weighi ...

''Nycticeius humeralis'' *

Canyon bat The canyon bat (''Parastrellus hesperus''), also known as the western pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Mexico and in the western United States. The species has historically been placed in the genus ''Pipistrellus ''Pip ...

''Parastrellus hesperus'' *

Tricolored bat The tricolored bat (''Perimyotis subflavus'') is a species of microbat native to eastern North America. Formerly known as the eastern pipistrelle, based on the incorrect belief that it was closely related to European '' Pipistrellus'' species, t ...

''Perimyotis subflavus''

Notable bat roosts

In 2009 the Grandview Mine in the

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...

had gates added to support on-going bat research, preserve historic mine resources, and promote visitor safety. The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, which crosses over Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, is the world's largest urban bat colony. Seventeen species of bats live in the

Carlsbad Caverns National Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park is an American national park in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave Carlsbad Cavern. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural ...

, including a large number of

s. It has been estimated that the population of Mexican free-tailed bats once numbered in the millions but has declined drastically in modern times. The cause of this decline is unknown but the pesticide

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

is often listed as a primary cause.

State insignia

As of February 2011, at least three states had an official bat. Hawai'i named the Hawaiian hoary bat as the official state land mammal in April 2015. The general assembly of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

considered a bill in 2007 that would have made Rafinesque's big-eared bat as its state bat. The bill passed 92-15, but died in the state senate.

References

External links

Bat facts
at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Selected list of publications on bats
{{USStateLists *Bats