Hoary bat

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Hoary bat

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Vespertilionidae
Genus:	Lasiurus
Species:	L. cinereus

Binomial name

Lasiurus cinereus
(Beauvois, 1796)

The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is a "hairy-tailed bat" (genus Lasiurus) in the family of vesper bats (Vespertilionidae).

The hoary bat averages 13 to 14.5 cm (5 to 5.7 in) long with a 40 cm (15.7 in) wingspan and a weight of 26 g (0.9 oz). It is the largest bat normally found in Canada. Its coat is of a dark brown colour and there is silver frosting on its back. With the major exception of the underside of the wing most of the bat is covered in fur.

The bat normally roosts alone on trees (hidden among foliage) but on occasion has been seen in caves with other bats. It prefers woodland, mainly coniferous forests but hunts over open areas or lakes. It hunts alone and its main food source are moths but will eat dragonflies.

The reproductive cycle of the hoary bat is not yet fully documented but it is thought that they mate in August with birth occurring in June of the following year. It is thought that the gestation period is only 40 days and that Mammalian embryonic diapause (delayed implantation) may play a role. Litters range from 1 to 4 and the young spend about one month with the mother before being able to fend for themselves.

The bat is migratory and may travel from Canada as far south as the southern United States or Bermuda. Occasionally the bat will roost inside shipping crates and this may account for reports of them being observed above the Arctic Circle.