Silver-haired bat

The silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) is a species of bat.  It is the only member of the genus Lasionycteris.

The bat is found in Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. They are the most common bat in forested areas in the United States. Silver-haired bats are also called Silverwings.

 Description 
Silver-haired bats are nearly black.  They have silvery-tipped hairs on their back. It's a medium-sized, heavily furred bat. It weighs around 8-12 grams.  Its total length is around 100 mm on average, its tail being 40 mm.

 Distribution and Habitat 
Silver-haired bat is found in Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It is found from southeastern Alaska in summer to northeastern Mexico in winter. It lives in dry habitats at low elevations during seasonal migrations. They often roost in tree cavities or in bark crevices on tree trunks, especially during migration.

 Feeding 
Silver-haired bats mainly eat insects with soft bodies, such as moths, but will also eat spiders and harvestmen. It will forage low, over both still and running water, and also in forest openings. Silver-haired bats are slow but can turn quickly. They can use echolocation to find prey that is a short distance away.

In Fiction
Shade is the name of the main character in the novel Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel.  He is a young silver-haired bat runt.

References

Category:Bats
Category:Mammals of North America