Description:

• Weight: one fifth of an ounce (6 g)
• Body length: 2 3/4 - 3 3/4 in. (71-95 mm)
• Wingspan: 8-10 in. (21-26 cm)
• Forearm: 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 in. (33-36 mm)

The tri-colored bat, formerly known as the eastern pipistrelle, is the smallest bat in Maryland. It has distinct tri-colored fur that appears yellowish-brown and is dark brown at the base, pale in the middle and dark at the tip. It has black wing membranes. The tri-colored bat was once one of the most common and widespread bats until white-nose syndrome hit the eastern United States.

Roosts:

• Summer Roost: Tri-colored bats often roost in clumps of leaves and sometimes in open houses and buildings.
• Winter Roost: In the winter, tri-colored bats roost in caves, rock crevices, and mines.
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Diet:
Moths, beetles, true bugs, mosquitoes, ants and other insects.

Similar Species:
Only bat in Maryland with tri-colored fur.

Conservation:
Tri-colored bats have dramatically declined in Maryland due to white-nose syndrome. Tri-colored are listed as species of greatest conservation need in Maryland. In addition, they are ranked as highly state rare (S1)​.​

Photo by: Dr. J. Scott Altenbach​

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