The western red bat is a striking but seldom-seen tree bat of Arizona’s riparian woodlands. Open occurrence databases hold 45 records for it in the state, drawn almost entirely from museum and survey collections rather than casual sightings, because this solitary bat roosts hidden in foliage rather than in the caves or buildings where people usually encounter bats.
A red bat that hides in plain sight
Its rich rusty-red fur is unmistakable, yet it is famously hard to find. The western red bat roosts alone, hanging by one foot from a branch amid the leaves of cottonwoods and other streamside trees, where its color and shape mimic a dead, curled leaf. That habit ties it to the state’s river corridors and canyon woodlands, and the records follow suit, concentrated in Cochise, Maricopa, and Pima counties wherever tall riparian trees persist.
A summer visitor
The record runs through spring and summer and empties out by late autumn, the signature of a migratory bat that moves south for the winter rather than hibernating in place. Because it never gathers in colonies and never uses the roosts where bats are usually counted, even a healthy local population leaves few traces. NatureServe ranks it S3, vulnerable, in Arizona.
Common questions
Why is it so rarely photographed? It roosts singly and camouflaged in tree foliage, so it is easy to walk past and hard to spot.
Where should I look? Among cottonwoods and other large trees along desert rivers and canyon streams.
Full species profile
