Mating often takes place in the spring with pairs meeting and flying together in the air. They land on branches to complete the mating. The length of the gestation period is unknown. It is probably about 90 days. The young can fly on their own in about six weeks, twice as long as it takes most bats.
Red bats take from one to three years to mature.
No one knows how long red bats live. During the winter, the red bat flies down into the southern United States. If the temperature drops below freezing, it wraps its long, hairy wings around itself and makes more heat by increasing its heart beat and muscle activity. Other Canadian bats let their body temperatures drop to go into a quick hibernation. When a warmer day comes, the red bat is awake and goes out more quickly than other bats to look for food.