Look for dark, nearly black fur with three prominent white spots—one on each shoulder and one on the rump. The spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) also has exceptionally large ears, and its low-frequency echolocation calls can sound like metallic clicks audible to people. Treat location and flight behavior as supporting clues, not proof on their own.
What markings identify a spotted bat?
The clearest visual clue is the three-spot pattern on the back: two white spots over the shoulders and one on the rump, set against dark fur. Canadian species accounts also describe smaller white patches near the bases of the ears. The underside is pale, and the ears are unusually large, with pink-gray or translucent pink coloring described in federal and conservation accounts. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s management plan and COSEWIC’s assessment document these features.
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What does a spotted bat call sound like?
Unlike many bats whose echolocation is beyond human hearing, the spotted bat makes unusually low-frequency calls that people may hear without a detector. Washington’s wildlife agency describes the sound as high-pitched, insect-like metallic clicks; other accounts likewise describe audible clicks. Whether a person hears a call depends on the listener and conditions, so silence does not rule out a spotted bat. See the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife species account and the National Park Service overview.
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Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 2015 management plan reports a dominant call frequency of 9–12 kHz and a broader reported echolocation range of 6–16 kHz. These are reported ranges; an individual call or recording need not show an identical value. The figures are described in the 2015 plan.
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How to weigh location and flight behavior
Spotted bats occur across western North America, from Mexico north to southern British Columbia, but their distribution is patchy. In Canada, reported records include the Okanagan, Similkameen, Thompson, Fraser, and Chilcotin river valleys. Being in this broad region makes an identification more plausible, but location alone cannot identify a bat. COSEWIC’s status assessment summarizes the Canadian records.
The species forages in open areas, with the Canadian assessment describing flights roughly 5–30 metres above ground in elliptical paths about 200–300 metres long. Moths are an important part of its foraging context. These behaviors can support an identification, but they are less distinctive than the markings or an audible low-frequency call.
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A practical identification check
- Check the back pattern. Look for dark fur and three distinct white spots: one on each shoulder and one on the rump. This is the strongest visual clue.
- Note the other features. Very large ears, a pale underside, and possible smaller white patches near the ear bases add context.
- Listen, if a call is present. Metallic, insect-like clicks may be audible without electronic equipment. Not hearing a call is not evidence against the species.
- Use place and behavior as supporting evidence. A patchy western North American range and open-area foraging fit the species, but neither establishes identity by itself.
If the back is not clearly visible or the call is uncertain, describe the observation as a possible spotted bat rather than relying on geography or flight alone. Do not approach or handle a wild bat to inspect its markings.
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