All western bat species rely on forested habitats to some extent, especially where forests are associated with permanent water sources or rocky terrain containing cliff crevices or caves.
Several species occupy a wide variety of habitats throughout most of North America.
When people think of bat shelters, caves most often come to mind, but many bat species rarely, if ever, enter caves. Favored roosts are found where leaves form a dense canopy above and branches do not obstruct the bats' flyway below. Desert red bats are also known to roost in orchards, especially in the Sacramento Valley of California. Despite their bright amber color, these bats are actually rather hard to see, resembling dead leaves when they curl up in their furry tail membranes to sleep. Like other tree bats, this species is solitary, coming together only to mate and to migrate.