Animal Sciences Commons^™

Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) are one of the most widely distributed bat species in the Americas, often engaging in rapid, long-distance dispersals, Here, we document that, since ca. 2007, these bats have expanded their range into western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and Virginia. Reports from wildlife control professionals, wildlife rehabilitators, regional submissions of bats for rabies testing, acoustic monitoring, and the presence of T. brasiliensis in buildings and bat houses indicate that these bats are now established in year-round colonies in areas previously thought outside their range limits. The geographic distributions of many organisms are currently shifting …