MAMMALS OF UTAH 159 



SILVER-HAIRED BAT 



LASIONYCTERIS NOCTIVAGANS (LeConte) 



Vespertilio noctivagans Le Cbnte, McMurtrie's Cuvier's An. 

 Kingdom, 1, p. 31, 1831. 



Vespertilio auduboni Harlan, Mont. Am. Journ. Geol. and Nat 

 Hist, 1, p. 220, 1831. 



Vespertilio oulverulentus Temminck, Monogr. de Mammalogie, 

 11, p. 325, 1835. 



Sootophilus noctivagans H. Allen, Monogr. N. Am. Bats, p. 39. 

 1864. ' s ,f, 



Lasionycteris noctivagans Peters, Monatsber. K. Preuss. Akad. 

 Miss., Berlin, p. 648, 1865. 



Vesperugo noctivagans Dobson, Catal. Chiroptera Brit. Mus., 

 p. 238, 1878. 



Lasionycteris noctivagans H. Allen, Monogr. Bats, N. Am., 

 p. 105, 1893. 



Description — The fur is deep, blackish, chocolate brown 

 throughout, many of the hairs on the back, belly and furred 

 part of interf emoral membrane tipped with silvery white. 

 The white tips are most numerous , on middle of back. 

 They are absent, or nearly so, from face, crown and throat. 

 (Miller.) 



Distribution — North America from Atlantic to the Pa- 

 cific, and including the northern half of the United States. 

 It breeds in Utah probably only in the northeastern section 

 though its winter range includes the northern half of the 

 State. 



Habits — Like many other bats it has a decided liking 

 for waterways, coursing up and down streams and rivers, 

 and circling around lakes and ponds. (Merriam.) The 

 breeding season extends throughout August and September 

 and the male takes no interest whatsoever in the rearing of 

 the young. The period of gestation is apparently ten 

 months. (Seton.) This bat prefers hollow trees where the 

 mother takes advantage of whatever she may find there as 

 a nest. The young commence to fly when about three 

 weeks old. 



Bats gather their food during the twilight of morning 

 before sunrise and evening before dark. This species is 

 especially fond of mosquitoes; in fact, no One should kill 

 bats of any kind in this state. 



