A rare silver-haired bat, typically not found in Florida, was recently discovered near a beachfront condo in Satellite Beach, just north of Melbourne, Florida. According to WILD Florida Rescue’s Facebook post, a local resident spotted the bat and safely contained it in a bucket until the rescue team arrived.

Silver-haired bats, native to other parts of the U.S. and Canada, are rarely seen in Florida, making this sighting particularly unusual. WILD Florida Rescue noted in their post, “While the Space Coast may be outside of the listed range of Lasionycteris noctivagans, this little lady apparently did not get the memo!”

The bat was uninjured, despite possibly being swept into the area by recent hurricane winds. According to WILD Florida Rescue, this could be the first documented silver-haired bat in the county.

Known for roosting in high places — such as tree hollows, loose bark, wood piles, cliff crevices, cave entrances, and buildings — silver-haired bats prefer habitats around 33 feet off the ground. They typically forage in small, protected spaces like ponds, streams, or wooded areas, where they hunt for midges, moths, flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and ants.

This unexpected visitor highlights the biodiversity of the Space Coast and brings a rare glimpse of this elusive species to Florida.
(Image credit: Wild Florida Rescue)