Bats of the United States and Canada

Underwood’s Bonneted Bat, Eumops underwoodi

108 bats of the united states and canada UNDERWOOD’S BONNETED BAT Eumops underwoodi Special Concern–United States Weight is 50–60 grams (1.8–2.1 ounces); wingspan is 50–54 centimeters (20–21 inches); distribution is in south-central Arizona, then along the western coast of Mexico into Central America. Among bats of the United States, this species is second in size only to the greater bonneted bat. Its long, narrow wings are adapted for rapid, longdistance flight in open habitats. The flight speed is at least 43 kilometers per hour (26 miles per hour). As in other free-tailed bats, the distal part of the tail is not attached to the interfemoral membrane. It is known in the United States only in the vicinity of the Baboquivari Mountains, Arizona. Information on habitat of this species in the United States is scarce (we only know that it may fly over livestock watering tanks in the mesquite desert of southern Arizona), and its distribution in winter is unknown. It occurs in a variety of habitats in Mexico and Central America, including arid lowlands, grasslands, and pine-oak and deciduous forests; one was present during the day beneath the leaf of a royal palm. Roosts are in high, dry places; one roost was in a large, hollow tree. Its presence can be detected by listening for the high-pitched “peeps” emitted several times a minute in flight. The calls may be intense enough to hurt the ears of anyone standing close by when these bats are flying. This insectivorous bat consumes grasshoppers, leafhoppers , moths, and a variety of beetles. One baby is born in late June or in July. Underwood ’s bonneted bat is rare in the United States and has been proposed for listing as threatened or endangered. recto runninghead 109 ...