Foliage roosting bats have beautiful fur in shades of red, or black tipped with white, or multi-colored fur with a "frosty" appearance (see species profiles).

Foliage bats are often found grounded in summer when mothers are moving their pups, in the fall when migrating to warmer climates for winter, or after bird attacks and storms. When frightened, they may try to defend themselves by spreading their wings and and making loud clicking noises. Follow the steps below to rescue a grounded foliage bat. (If the bat is small and has brown fur, it is probably a crevice bat, so please follow the information about finding a bat indoors).

First, check the area for more bats. Sometimes a grounded female has two or more pups with her.

1) Stand guard over the bat so it does not fall victim to predators. If the bat remains quiet and still, proceed to step two. If it panics as described above, proceed to step five.
2) Do not use your hands to help the bat. Instead, gently touch the bat's feet with a small tree branch, as shown above. Usually, the bat will cling onto the branch. Inspect the bat (or mother with pups) for injuries. If infants are clinging to the mother and there are no apparent injuries, proceed to step three. If injuries are detected, go to step five.
3) Slowly move the branch with bat(s) to a nearby tree and place the branch as high as you can. This must be done very carefully. A sudden move may cause the mother to fly off, leaving her pups behind. Secure the branch into a spot where leaves conceal the bat(s). Do not place foliage bats on the trunk of a tree where they will be visible to predators. Make sure there are no visible bird nests in the chosen tree. If all is well, proceed to step four.
4) Monitor the area. Check the area the following morning. If the bat(s) remained in the same spot overnight, there may be something wrong like an undetected injury. If the mother bat is gone but the pups remain, proceed to step five.
5) Call a local wildlife rehabilitator for assistance.

Note: If you need help with containing the bat, please call or text me at 860-685-1606