Order Chiroptera (North American)

1) only mammals that truly fly

2) well furred bodies, membranes naked - transparent

3) very poor vision, use echolocation to find prey and navigate

4) Nocturnal - active from dusk to dawn

5) Many North American bats hibernate

6) may be solitary or colonial

7) most mate in fall. Sperm is stored in female uterus, fertilization is delayed until Spring (1-2 young annually)

Family Vespertilionidae (Evening Bats)

a) plain noses, projections of ear lobes from the tragus

b) insectivorous - well developed echolocation

c) most hibernate and show delayed fertilization

Example:

1) Myotis lucifugus - Little brown myotis
Skin: brown above, buff below, tragus short and rounded.
Calcar without keel, fur not uniform in color. - glossy

2) Myotis grisescens - Gray myotis
Skin: fur uniform in color from base to tip-dull.
Calcar not keeled.
Myotis Skull characteristics:
I 2/3 C 1/1 PM 3/3 M 3/3 Tot = 38

3) Lasisnycteris noctrivagans - Silver-haired bat
Skin: blackish-brown hairs tipped with white tail membrane not heavily furred.
Skull: I 2/3 C 1/1 PM 2/3 M 3/3 Tot = 36

4) Pipistrellus subflavus - Eastern Pipistrelle
Skin: reddish to light brown hairs are tricolored. Dark to light-dark. Calcar not keeled.
Skull: I 2/3 C 1/1 PM 2/2 M 2/2 Tot = 34
one tiny premolar behind canine

5) Eptesicus fuscus - Big Brown bat
Skin: Calcar keeled, no fur on wings or interfemoral membrane, fur glossy, tragus blunt
Skull: No reduced premolars behind canines
I 2/3 C 1/1 PM 1/1 M 3/3 Tot = 32

6) Lasiurus cinereus - Hoary bat
Skin: brown with white tips on fur, interfemoral membrane heavily furred, throat buff colored.

7) Lasiurus borealis - Red bat
Skin: brick or rusty red - hairs tipped with white. Interfemoral membrane furred.
Lasiurus Skull characters - large gap between upper incisors.
I 1/3 C 1/1 PM 2/2 M 3/3 Tot = 32

Order Carnivora

Order Insectivora

Order Lagomorpha

Order Marsupial

Order Rodentia