Hoary bats are found across the Americas. They are able hunters and can travel up to 39 km during their forages, making them the largest among bats known to migrate a vast distance. They are members of the Vespertilionidae family and belong to the genus of Lasiurus.
Table of Contents
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Vespertilionidae
Lasiurus
Lasiurus cinereus
Table Of Content
Table of Contents
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Vespertilionidae
Lasiurus
Lasiurus cinereus
Table of Contents
Hoary Bat Range Map
Physical Description
Size: Hoary bats are usually 5.1-5.7 inches (13-14.5 cm) long.
Weight: They weigh around 0.92 ounces (26 g).
Wingspan: The wingspan is 15.5 inches (40 cm).
Color: Their body is covered with thick dark brown hair which is tipped with white. The furs are dark brown on the entire surface and black at the base. The bottom is marked with a broad strip of cream followed by a narrow strip of mahogany brown mixed with a bit of white. There is a yellowish brown band under their chins. The ears are yellow with black edges. There are visible white patches on the wrists and shoulders.
SexualDimorphism: Females are slightly larger than males.
Length: They usually tend to be 13 to 14.5 cm long.
Forearms: They have forearms having 50-57 mm length.
Juveniles: New born babies are found to have silver-grey coat on the head, feet, tail membrane and shoulder regions.
Hoary Bat
Distribution
They live in the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Uruguay, Central Chile, Paraguay, Central Argentina, Brazil, Hawaii, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Galapagos Islands, United States and Canada.
The Hoary Bat
Hoary Bat Images
Habitat
Hoary bats inhabit dense forests, open forested glades, edges of forest clearings, coniferous forests, deserts, tropical forests and broadleaf forests.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies of the hoary bat:
Lasiurus cinereus cinereus
L.c. semotus (the Hawaiian Hoary bat)
L.c. villosissimus
Behavior
They sleep during the day and become active during the night.
Most hoary bats are migratory and travel south during winter in North America. However, some northern populations remain in their native region and hibernate through the winter season.
During their return to North America, females start their flight a month before the males.
They are solitary and form groups only during migration and the mating season.
These animals are very territorial in nature often choosing feeding grounds where they can return to every night.
They usually go out finding food twice a day, once as the evening sets in and again an hour prior to sunrise.
They prefer hunting in open lands such as over rivers, streams, in meadows and above trees.
They often use the same perching area on different days.
Mothers roost along with their young ones choosing higher roosting area than solitary adults.
They have roosting preferences such as dark colored ground cover with minimum sunlight reflection, abundance of bordering vegetation to prevent wind and increase heat to retain humidity, dense vegetation on top, open space below to let them drop freely to gain flight.
Hoary Bat Pictures
Hoary Bat
Diet
Hoary bats primarily feed on moths. They also eat beetles, small wasps, flies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and termites. They may also rarely feed on grass, leaves, eastern pipistrelles and snakeskin.
Mating & Reproduction
They usually mate during their autumn migration or at their wintering regions. Fertilization takes place a long time after copulation, around spring. Young are born between mid-May and early July after a gestation period believed to be around 40 days. Generally, 2 pups are born, but the litter size can vary from 1 to 4.
Life Cycle
The pups are born deaf and blind, staying that way for 3 and 12 days respectively. They gain the ability to fly by around 23 days of age and are eventually weaned by 34 days. They reach sexual maturity by the time they are one year old.
Hoary Bat Baby
Hoary Bats
Lifespan
Their life-expectancy in the wild is around 6-7 years.
Sounds & Communication
When disturbed while resting they make a sharp hissing sound. They also make an audible chattering during flight.
Adaptations
Hoary bats use echolocation to locate their prey and are one of the few creatures in the world to do so.
They wrap their hairy tails around their bodies during winter to get added insulation.
Due to their migratory nature, these creatures travel long distances often flying down south to Bermuda and southern USA from Canada. They have been found in the Arctic Circle where they have been reportedly found perching inside shipping crates.
They utilize their bony tail as an antennae to feel certain things around them.
Hoary Bat
Predators
Owls and hawks are the primary predators of the hoary bat. Rat snakes occasionally feed on them as well, as do American kestrels.
Hoary Bat Wingspan
Hawaiian Hoary Bat
IUCN Conservation Status
The IUCN categorizes the hoary bat under the ‘Least Concern’ list.
Interesting Facts
The hoary bat is the largest bat found in Canada.
Unlike most other animals that use echolocation, the sounds that the hoary bats generate are audible to humans.
They follow periodical continental migration, flying together in flocks of hundreds.
They are fiercely territorial and tend to return to one feeding zone over and over again.
They prefer hunting in open areas of land and water bodies.
