Western red bat

About the 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. 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.

The western red bat is found across western North America, ranging from southern Canada, through the western United States, 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... Wikipedia →