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The western red bat or desert red bat (''Lasiurus frantzii'') is a species of
microbat Microbats constitute the suborder Microchiroptera within the order Chiroptera (bats). Bats have long been differentiated into Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera, based on their size, the use of echolocation by the Microchiroptera an ...
in the family
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 ...
. It is found in western
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
and
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
.


Taxonomy

Previously, it was believed to be a subspecies of the southern red bat (''Lasiurus blossevillii''), and was called ''Lasiurus blossevillii teliotis'' (abbreviated ''L. b. teliotis''). The western red bat is also very similar to the eastern red bat and is distinguished from each other by minor differences, such as the lack of white-tipped hair in the dorsal pelage in the western red bat and the presence of sparse fur in the lower third of their tail. Their habitats are separated by the Rocky Mountains and may overlap.


Distribution and habitat

The western red bat is found across western North America, ranging from southern Canada, through the
western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...
, down to Central America. The species has been recorded in Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States. This species, along with most other ''Lasiurus'', is a migratory species. It migrates to the southern parts of the Americas in the winter, and migrates north in the summer. ''Lasiurus frantzii'' is most often found in tree foliage, as are most species in the genus ''
Lasiurus ''Lasiurus'' is a genus of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. Its members are known as hairy-tailed bats or red bats. Phylogeny The following is the relationship of the three genera formerly included within ''Lasiurus'', based on an analysis ...
'', and is a
solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * ''Solitary'' (album), 2008 album by Don Dokken * ''Solitary'' (2020 film), a British sci-fi thriller film * ''Solitary'' (upcoming film), an American drama film * "S ...
species. The common name implies that the desert red bat lives in the desert, but they actually hibernate under leaves in forests. Their coat color especially helps them
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
with dead leaves.


Reproduction

Unlike most bats, which bear only one pup per season, the western red bat can give birth to as many as four pups at once. To compensate for larger litters, desert red bats have four nipples rather than two. The bats mate during August and September. Pups are born about 90 days after mating. Before the bats are able to fly, the mother carries up to four pups at a time. It takes up to six weeks for the bats to fly by themselves and one to three years to mature.


Ecology

Male and female red bats have different migrating routines. Female bats are usually found in warmer climates during the month of June.


Diet and hunting

The desert red bat is an
insectivore file:Common brown robberfly with prey.jpg, A Asilidae, robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivore, carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the Entomophagy ...
. They eat moths, flies, true bugs, beetles, and cicadas. The desert red bat is nocturnal. They use
animal echolocation Echolocation, also called bio sonar, is a biological active sonar used by several animal groups, both in the air and underwater. Echolocating animals emit calls and listen to the Echo (phenomenon) , echoes of those calls that return from various ...
to hunt for insects. While they hunt, they are prone to predators, which include owls, blue jays, raccoons and opossum.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20906601 Lasiurus Bats of Canada Bats of the United States Bats of Mexico Bats of Central America Mammals described in 1871 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters