12 Types of Bats In Mississippi! (ID GUIDE)
How can anyone in Mississippi think that bats are scary?
Despite what you see in the movies, these fascinating flying mammals wouldn’t hurt a fly! Well, technically, they would hurt a fly, or a mosquito, or a moth. But other than that, bats are harmless. 🙂
It’s hard to believe the diversity and amount of bat species that can be found in Mississippi! But, unfortunately, when you see a bat, it’s typically pretty difficult to determine which kind it is. These nocturnal creatures fly incredibly fast and are only active at night.
12 kinds of bats in Mississippi:
#1. Big Brown Bat
- Eptesicus fuscus
- It is a larger bat with around a 12-inch (30 cm) wingspan.
- Brown fur with black ears, wings, and feet. Wings are hairless.
Big Brown Bats are among the most common bats in Mississippi.
If you look, you’ll find these bats inside caves, tunnels, or other human structures.
Big Brown Bat Range Map
This nocturnal bat primarily eats insects, especially ones that fly at night. However, their preference is to eat beetles.
The Cucumber Beetle is their favorite, which benefits farmers because these insects are terrible pests for agriculture. Many farmers in Mississippi even use bat boxes to attract Big Brown Bats to their property!
Interestingly, many Big Brown Bats have immunity to rabies. Researchers discovered that these rabies antibodies get passed down from generation to generation!
#2. Hoary Bat
- Lasiurus cinereus
- Brown hair with grayish-white tips. Wings and belly are brown and hairless, with a wingspan of approximately 15.5 inches (39 cm).
- Males are almost double the size of females.
You’ll typically find Hoary Bats in Mississippi roosting on trees in woodland forests. They are solitary bats that roost in open foliage. They do form “flocks” when migrating south in late summer, but they don’t hang out with other bats normally.
Hoary Bat Range Map
This species prefers to hunt for prey while flying over wide-open areas or lakes. Hoary Bats hunt alone and enjoy eating moths. They’re known to travel up to 24 miles (39 km) in a single night to gather food!
Though the Hoary Bat is not endangered, it does suffer a loss in numbers because of wind turbines. Hoarys migrate each year back and forth from North America to Central America, and it’s thought that they confuse the wind turbine with a tree as they seek a place to rest.
#3. Silver-haired Bat
- Lasionycteris noctivagans
- Medium-sized with a flathead. The upper part of the tail is covered in thick fur.
- Mostly black all over with white tips on hairs, with a wingspan of approximately 11.5 inches (29 cm).
This species is known to fly more slowly than other bats in Mississippi.
Look for Silver-haired Bats in forests inside tree cavities or bark crevices. They’ve also been known to seek shelter in outbuildings.
Silver-haired Bat Range Map
Silver-haired Bats hunt for soft-bodied insects, such as moths. Interestingly, they also eat a lot of spiders. They accomplish this feat by foraging low to the ground to find food, unlike many other bats.
#4. Little Brown Bat
- Myotis lucifugus
- Glossy brown fur on the body. Wings are hairless and black, with a wingspan of approximately 10 inches (25 cm).
- Despite its name, it has no connection to the Big Brown Bat.
Look for the Little Brown Bat roosting in Mississippi in sheltered places such as human structures, woodpiles, tree hollows, and occasionally caves.
You can even attract Little Brown Bats to your yard! Many people put up bat houses to attract them to their property to control pests like mosquitos or insects that harm crops.
- RELATED: The 7 BEST Bat Houses For Sale! (All price ranges)
Little Brown Bat Range Map
Distribution of all little brown bat subspecies: M. l. lucifugus (red), M. l. pernox (green), M. l. alascensis (blue), M. l. carissima (yellow), M. l. relictus (gray)
Little Brown Bats only have a few natural predators, like owls or raccoons. Unfortunately, most of their mortality is caused by parasites or White-nose syndrome.
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that grows around the bats’ mouths, ears, and wings. This illness is spread during hibernation and is responsible for the loss of over one million Little Brown Bats between 2006 and 2011. As of 2018, the Little Brown Bat is an endangered species.
#5. Eastern Red Bat
- Lasiurus borealis
- Medium-sized tree bat with thick, long fur. Ears are short and round. Wings are long, pointed, and have a wingspan of approximately 13 inches (33 cm).
- Males have distinctive rusty red-colored fur, and females have more of a soft shade of red.
- Both have white patches of fur on their shoulder.
Eastern Red Bats like to roost in trees in Mississippi.
These bats are relatively fast flyers with good maneuverability. They are insectivorous, which means they prey primarily on different insects, with their favorite being moths.
Eastern Red Bat Range Map
Unlike most bats that only produce one offspring, Eastern Red Bats have three pups in a litter.
Eastern Red Bats have few predators. However, sometimes hawks, aggressive Blue Jays, and crows attack them. This bat is also killed by flying into cars or wind turbines. Unfortunately, this species has the second-highest mortality rate from wind turbines.
#6. Tricolored Bat
- Perimyotis subflavus
- Small bat with blond hair on the chest. Their wingspan is approximately 9 inches (23 cm).
- The “tricolor” name comes from the coloration of the three distinct bands of hairs on their back: dark gray on the bottom, yellowish-brown in the middle, and brown or reddish-brown on top.
- Formerly known as the Eastern Pipistrelle.
This species is the smallest bat found in Mississippi!
Despite their small stature, Tricolored Bats can live to be 15 years old, which is a long time for bats! And interestingly, Tricolored Bats mate in the fall, but the female stores the sperm and doesn’t become pregnant until spring.
Tricolored Bat Range Map
Did you know the Tricolored Bat’s natural predators include many birds of prey, snakes, skunks, other bats, and Northern Leopard Frogs? It’s crazy to think of a frog eating a bat, but it shows how tiny these mammals are!
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Related Article: Types of Frogs in Mississippi!
Tricolored Bats used to be considered one of the most common bats around. But, unfortunately, their numbers have been decimated by White-nose syndrome. It’s thought that 70% of their population has succumbed to this fungal disease.
#7. Evening Bat
- Nycticeius humeralis
- Smaller bat with a prominent dog-like jaw.
- Most are dark brown with black muzzle, ears, legs, and wings, but some are lighter brown. Their wingspan is approximately 10.5 inches (27 cm).
Evening Bats have a shorter life span than other bats in Mississippi.
Most only live for four years, but some are lucky enough to make it to six years.
Evening Bat Range Map
But luckily, they have largely avoided the dreaded White-nose syndrome, a terrible disease that has killed millions of bats over the years. They have managed this because they don’t enter or hibernate in caves.
Look for Evening Bats roosting in structures, including tree cavities, under bark, in Spanish moss, and in buildings. They eat various insects, including beetles, moths, winged ants, and flies.
#8. Mexican Free-tailed Bat
- Tadarida brasiliensis
- a Smaller bat with gray fur on the front and back. The face, ears, wings, and legs are light black.
- Ears are short and rounded, with lines inside and ruffled on the bottom.
- Wings are elongated and narrow with pointed tips. Their wingspan is approximately 13 inches (33 cm).
The Mexican Free-tailed Bat is the fastest bat in Mississippi!
Their long, narrow wings help make them quick and have direct flight patterns while catching their flying prey. They also use echolocation to help them navigate in the night sky.
Mexican Free-tailed Bat Range Map
This species primarily roosts in caves, but they can be found in any structure with an opening and dark hiding place.
Mexican Free-tailed Bats have glands in their skin that cover their body. These glands leave a scent that other bats can smell, so they know that this roost is only for the Mexican Free-tailed Bats.
#9. Seminole Bat
- Lasiurus seminolus
- Smaller bat with round and short ears. Wingspan is approximately 9 inches (23 cm).
- Darker red fur with white-tipped hairs on their back
Seminole Bats are mainly found in forests in Mississippi.
In particular, they’re closely associated with forests that have Spanish moss since that is where they roost during spring and winter. Professional moss gatherers often find these bats inside clumps.
Seminole Bat Range Map
Even though Seminole Bats seem common, little research has been done on them. For example, scientists have no idea about their average lifespan.
These bats are insectivores and feed primarily on ants, bees, wasps, beetles, and moths. Interestingly, they take advantage of street lights that attract lots of bugs.
#10. Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat
- Corynorhinus rafinesquii
- The fur is gray on the back and white on the belly. Their face and ears are pinkish brown.
- Wings are dark brown, and ears are long, measuring over an inch (hence their name).
- Wingspan is approximately 10 to 12 inches (25-30 cm).
The Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat lives in various habitats in Mississippi. They prefer mature forests but will also go into abandoned buildings or under bridges.
Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat Range Map
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This nocturnal bat is insectivorous and feeds on mosquitoes, beetles, and flies. Their diet consists of over 90% moths, which are located using echolocation.
Luckily, the White-nose syndrome fungus, which kills many species of bats, doesn’t affect the Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat.
#11. Southeastern Myotis
- Myotis austroriparius
- The fur varies from bright orange-brown to gray. The wingspan is approximately 10 inches (25 cm).
- Females are often more brightly colored than males.
This bat prefers bottomland hardwood forests in Mississippi.
Look for them near water, as this is where they like to roost and search for food. The diet of the Southeastern Myotis consists mainly of caddisflies.
Southeastern Myotis Range Map
The Southeastern Myotis are a crucial food source for the Barred Owl during nesting season. Interestingly, when it’s not the nesting season, the owls tend to leave the bats alone.
This species is unique compared to other bats in Mississippi because females primarily have twins. Most other bats only have one offspring.
#12. Gray Bat
- Myotis grisescens
- Smaller bat with long thumbs and claws. The fur is dark gray.
- Black wing, ears, and legs. The wingspan is approximately 10 inches (25 cm). Ears are medium in length.
Out of all the bats in Mississippi, this species is most dependent on caves.
Therefore, do not look for these bats in tree cavities, barns, artificial structures, or anywhere else that is not a cave!
Gray Bat Range Map
Gray Bats prefer to forage over water, such as streams, to consume night-flying insects. They typically feed in small groups as long as there is enough food for everyone. But if food becomes scarce, they want to be alone and become very territorial.
Unfortunately, the Gray Bat is on the endangered species list because of its population decline due to human disturbance. Pollution, urbanization, deforestation, and mining are all to blame.
Do you need additional help identifying bats in Mississippi?
If so, this field guide should be able to help you.
Which of these bats have you seen before in Mississippi?
Leave a comment below!
Check out my other guides about animals in Mississippi!
-
Owl Species That Live in Mississippi!
-
Common Spiders Found in Mississippi! (Includes venomous species)
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Common Butterflies Found in Mississippi!
