Belize Biodiversity Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	050870
Name	Western Red Bat
Other Common Names	Red Bat
Category	05 Mammals
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Mammalia
Subclass	Theria
Suborder	Microchiroptera
Family	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Lasiurus
Species	blossevillii
Subspecies	frantzii
References	1, 2, 3, 7, 8
Scientific Synonyms	Lasiurus borealis frantzii

Comments

2* genus shown as Nycteris 8* Ten subspecies. L. b. borealis (eastern and central North Amercia from central Canada to northern Florida and northwestern Mexico), L.b. teliotis (southeastern Canada to south-central Mexico), L. b. frantzii (southern Mexico to Amazonian Brazil, including Trinidad and Tabago), L.b. pfeifferi (Cuba), L.b. degelidus (Jamaica), L.b. minor (Bahamas, norhtern Argintina), L.b. brachyotis (Galopagus), L.b. seminolus (southern United States and apparently Bermuda). More than one species is usually recognized in this complex, but a skull character (lacrimal tubercule) does not clearly distinguish seminolus from all the rest, coloration in some areas shows great variation, and migration obscurs possible overlap at mating time. However, it is nevertheless possible that several species are represented in this complex.

Lasblo1.JPG

Lasblo2.JPG

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Belize	2
Cayo	12
Corozal	2
Orange Walk	14
Stann Creek	12
Toledo	12

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	June	12
Gallon Jug	Captured or Mist netted and released	Uncommon	May	12
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	October	12
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	June	11
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	July	11
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	April	15
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	May	13
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	Permanent Resident (Year-round)	5
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Captured or Mist netted and released	Unknown, insuffient data		4
Gallon Jug	Collected as voucher.	Uncommon	June	12, 9

Hydrologic Unit Distribution	References
Macal River	12
Blue Creek	12
North Stann Creek	11

ELEVATION Association	References
1-200 m	12,11

QUAD Distribution	References
17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'	12
16 00' to 16 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	12
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	12
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'	12,5
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'	12, 11,6
18 00' to 18 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	15, 6
17 45' to 18 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'	13, 9

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical	12, 11
Subtropical wet	12
Subtropical moist	12

Comments on Distribution

5* 1 caught on fence.

Graphics

Distribution map
Vocal signature
Vocal signature with call parameters

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forest	all stages	71-100%	12
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	12
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	12
Marsh and Swamp Communities	all stages	71-100%	12üGJBATS
Seasonal swamp forests (marsh forests) of Northern Belize, variant 1.	all stages	71-100%	12üGJ_BATSüBWM_GJB
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany	all stages	71-100%	12üGJ_BATSüBWM_GJB
Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in steep terrain.	all stages	71-100%	12
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	12
This serves to update Wright et al. for urban or agricultural areas devoid of native vegetation.	all stages	71-100%	12
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	12ü11
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	Disturbed	not applicable	14
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany	all stages	71-100%	11üFMNH
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	11üCM
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	12üCM
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forest over limestone, northwestern variant.	all stages	71-100%	12üGJBATSüBWM_GJBüUF
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-Silion forest.	all stages	71-100%	12üGJBATSüBWM_GJBüUF

Food Habits

Trophic

INSECTIVORE

References on Trophic Level

10

Lifestage	Food Item Consumed	Part of Food Item
Adult	Coleoptera	Adult stage
Adult	Hymenoptera	Adult stage
Adult	Homoptera	Adult stage
Adult	Diptera	Adult stage
Adult	Lepidoptera	Adult stage
Adult	Orthoptera	Adult stage
Adult	Insects	Adult stage

Comments on General Food Habits

10* Kunz reported that red bats generally begin to forage 1 to 2 h after sunset, with some bats feeding throughout the night (see also Mumford, 1973). Jones (1965) found that red bats emerged just prior to L. cinereus, which appeared 1 h 40 min after sunset. Representatives of Homoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera have been found in the stomachs of red bats (Mumford, 1973; Ross, 1967). They also feed on ground-dwelling crickets, flies, bugs, beetles, cicadas, grain moths, and other insects (Connor, 1971; Hamilton, 1943; Jackson, 1961; Lewis, 1940). We, Hamilton and Whitaker (1979), and Wilson (1965) have observed red bats around street lights in the city and flood lights on the sides of barns, presumably catching insects drawn to lights. Red bats have been found associating with other species only when foraging or drinking. They have been observed foraging with Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus coiners, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Nycticeius humeralis, Pipistrellus subflavus, Myotis lucifugus, and M. keenii (Barbour and Davis, 1969; Kunz, 1973).

Life History

Life History Narrative

10* Red bats are solitary, roosting mostly in trees or shrubs, sometimes near or even on the ground (Hall and Kelson, 1959). Roost sites in summer are often used by different individuals on different days (Constantine, 1966; Downes, 1964). Downes (1964) found that in captivity one bat will respond to sounds made by others and may be attracted by vocalizations to resting sites. He found five different bats in a 7-day period on the underside of a sunflower leaf in Illinois during August, although other suitable leaves in the row existed. He thought there was some kind of communication among the bats for the favored site. During the day, red bats commonly roost in edge habitats adjacent to streams, open fields, and in urban areas (Constantine, 1958, 1959, 1966; Kunz, 1973; Mumford, 1973). McClure (1942) studies use of tree species by bats in Lewis, Iowa. Constantine (1966), however, discovered few bats in the town of Lewis, probably because there was sparse leaf density at the time of the study. The red bats he found were in places distant from human population centers. Red bats are generally considered to be highly migratory. Although generally solitary, red bats seem to migrate in groups and forage in close associations with one another in summer (La Val and La Val, 1979). Males and females seem to migrate at different times and to have different summer ranges (Grinnell, 1918; Williams and Findley, 1979). Lasiurus borealis breeds in August and September (Glass, 1966; Hamilton, 1943; Layne, 1958; Stuewer, 1948); fertilization occurs in spring. Copulation apparently is initiated in flight. Jackson (1961) estimated that the gestation period is from 80 to 90 days. Mumford (1973) suggested that most young are born in mid-June in Indiana. Kurta (1980) reported that red bats apparently gave birth in June; lactating females were found into early August in southern Lower Michigan.

Life History References

10 

References

1  McCarthy, T. J. 1993. Checklist: Mammals of Belize. BAS Newsletter
   25 (2-3).

2  Hall, E. R. 1981. Mammals of North America. Second ed. John Wiley &
   Sons. New York. 1:222

3  Koopman, Karl F. 1993. Chiroptera. in  Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder,
   eds, Mammalian species of the world, 2nd ed, Smithsonian Institution
   Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 137-241.

4  Rabinowitz, A.; B. G. Nottingham, Jr. 1989. Mammal species richness and
   relative abundance of small mammals in a subtropical wet forest of
   Central America.  Mammalia V. 53, No. 2, pp.217-226

5  Jacobson, S. 1990. Wildlife Inventory of the Rio Bravo Conservation and
   Management Area. Parts I and II. Appendix 2.

6  McCarthy, T. J. 1987. Distributional records of bats from the Caribbean
   lowlands of Belize and adjacent Guatemala and Mexico. In: Studies in
   Neotropical Mammalogy: Essays in Honor of Philip Hershkovitz (B.D.
   Patterson and R.M. Timm, eds.). Fieldiana:n.s. No. 39:137-162.

7  Morales, J. C. and J. W. Brickham. 1995.  Molecular systematics of the
   genus Lasiurus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) based on restriction-site
   maps of mitochondrial rhibosomal genes.  J. Mammalogy. 76:730-749.

8  Koopman, Karl F. 1994. Chiroptera: Systematics in Handbook of Zoology.
   W. de Gruyter. Berlin. p.129.

9  Miller, B.W. 1997. Unpublished data.

10 Shump, Jr., K.A. and A.U. Shump. 1982. Lasiurus borealis. The
   American Society of Mammalogists. Mammalian Species. No. 183:1-6.

11 Miller, B.W. and C.M. Miller. 1999. Results of a survey of bats of the
   Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Wildlife Conservation Society,
   Tropical Forest and Reserve Planning Project, Belize. Technical Report
   for Belize Audubon Society. 16 pp.

12 Miller, B.W. 2001. Community Ecology of the Non-phyllostomid bats of
   Northwestern Belize, with a landscape level assessment of the bats of
   Belize.  PhD. Dissertation. University of Kent, Durrell Institute of
   Conservation and Ecology.

13 UF. Florida Sate Musuem Mammal Deptartment, Belize holdings. University
   of Florida, Gainesville.  Imported on date: 09/20/00.

14 FMNH. 1997. Mammal holdings in the Field Musuem of Natural History,
   unpublished listing.

15 CM. 1997. Carnegie Musuem, Division of mammals. Data imported on
   date: 06/13/00.