Page 21 - Bats of Oklahoma Field Guide
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Mexican Free-tailed Bat
(Tadarida brasilensis)
Wingspan: 12 – 14 inches.
Total Length: 3.5 – 4.25 inches. BCI
Color: Dark brown to dark gray fur.
Over-Wintering Behavior: Migratory.
Preferred Daytime Roost: Caves, bridges, buildings and
bat houses.
Evening Flight Time: Usually before sunset.
Feeding/Flying Behavior: Feeds from 15 to several thousand feet
above the ground. It will travel miles from the cave while feeding.
Pup Development Period: Late May to late July.
In Hand: Wrinkled lips and rounded ears. Tail extends beyond
the edge of the tail membrane.
Cool Fact: Four caves in western Oklahoma serve as major nursery caves for up
to 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats each summer. Gov. Brad Henry declared the
Mexican free-tailed bat Oklahoma’s state flying mammal in April 2006.
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