NATURAL HISTORY

FLORIDA BONNETED BAT} Eumops floridanus
FAMILY: Molossidae

DESCRIPTION: The Florida bonneted bat is the largest species of bat in Florida. This bat species can reach a length of 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters) with a wingspan of 20 inches (51 centimeters). The hair color varies from black to brown to grayish or cinnamon brown.

HABITAT: Open fresh water and wetlands provide prime foraging habitat for Florida bonneted bats, while trees and human-made structures are used for roosting.

RANGE: Florida bonneted bats have only been found in the South Florida counties of Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Miami-Dade, to date.

MIGRATION: Non-migratory.

BREEDING: Low fecundity; litter size is one.

FEEDING: Diet consists of flying insects.

THREATS: Loss of habitat, including the destruction of natural roost sites, and natural disasters such as hurricanes since the impact could occur throughout its entire range. Pesticide use also could threaten the bonneted bat population by affecting its food source. Projected sea-level rise threatens the majority of the known roosts of this bat species.

POPULATION TREND: The population size is not known, but is estimated to be in the low hundreds to low thousands.

Florida bonneted bat courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Kathleen Smith