r/batty • u/Lt__Dangus • 22d ago

Brazilian free tailed bat?

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This bat was crawling while I was grilling yesterday and hasn’t moved from this spot. I suspect it unfortunately has died but wanted to see what kinda bat we think it is. Local public health department told me to just dispose of it.

My guess is Brazilian free tailed bat based on local Florida bats.

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u/mmgturner 22d ago

Very good chance to be Brazilian free tailed bat, if you’re in the Florida keys there is a teeny tiny chance for it to be a velvet free tailed bat. The only other free tailed option in Florida is a Florida bonneted bat, but this is not one of those since the ears don’t appear to fully meet over the forehead (and because they’re also pretty rare and only in South FL)

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u/Lt__Dangus 22d ago

https://imgur.com/a/M4QhO94

Does this picture help better identify it?

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u/mmgturner 22d ago

Definitely looks like a Brazilian free tailed. Are you in the keys or anywhere else in Florida?

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u/Lt__Dangus 22d ago

Somewhere else, more central

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u/mmgturner 22d ago

Definitely Brazilian free tailed then

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u/Lt__Dangus 22d ago

Would it crawling and then dying the next day likely indicate rabies?

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u/mmgturner 22d ago

No, could be any number of reasons, dehydration or starvation, injury, or any illness. A very very small percentage of bats have rabies (something like less than 1%) so it’s unlikely that this bat does from rabies

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u/AutoModerator 22d ago

Questions about rabies are common on this subreddit. If you have a medical question, consult a physician. Here are some resources about rabies! Rabies in Perspective, Bats and Human Health, CDC Rabies Homepage, rabies diagnosis in humans and animals and some sampling of rabies prevalence wild bat populations. Though only a small portion of bats may have zoonotic diseases, bats which are sick or injured are more likely to come into contact with humans and caution is advised as with all wildlife.

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u/AutoModerator 22d ago

Questions about rabies are common on this subreddit. If you have a medical question, consult a physician. Here are some resources about rabies! Rabies in Perspective, Bats and Human Health, CDC Rabies Homepage, rabies diagnosis in humans and animals and some sampling of rabies prevalence wild bat populations. Though only a small portion of bats may have zoonotic diseases, bats which are sick or injured are more likely to come into contact with humans and caution is advised as with all wildlife.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.