Tadarida brasiliensis  var. cynocephala 

Brazilian Free-tailed Bat
Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Florida native

Click on any image to open the slideshow

The adult Mexican free-tailed bats weigh from 10-15 grams (less than half an ounce) with a wingspan of 10-12 inches and can fly at speeds up to 25 mph. Also known as Brazilian free-tailed bats, they may roost in colonies of a few hundred up to thousands of bats. All bats living in Florida are insect eaters.
You should never touch a bat. If you find a bat on the ground contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. You can find a listing at www.batworld.org.

Special thanks to Fly By Night bat specialists for allowing me to photograph their bat.

Tadarida brasiliensis is a member of the Molossidae - Free-tailed bats family.

For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Florida Bat Conservancy page for this species

Date record last modified: Jan 11, 2018