Lasiurus intermedius Northern Yellow Bat • NC counties: 3 Status Rank NC US NC Global = Sighting or Collection SC - S1 G5 • • • Other Name: Yellow Bat DISTRIBUTION: In NC, it is known only from the extreme southeastern corner of the state (Brunswick and New Hanover counties) and as a probable stray to Mecklenburg County, as this appears to be a Coastal Plain species. Restricted in the United States to the far Southeast, ranging casually to southeastern VA (resident?) and eastern TX, but extending well into Central America. ABUNDANCE: Apparently very rare or rare in the Wilmington/Brunswick County area, if not farther west in Brunswick County. Expected to eventually be found farther northward in the NC Coastal Plain. Likely an accidental/stray in Mecklenburg County. SEASONAL OCCURRENCE: Apparently hibernates in winter, though not fully understood in the Carolinas, as it is quite scarce in these states. HABITAT: Areas with Spanish moss are favored for daytime roosts, if not at night. It apparently does not roost in buildings or other man-made structures, at least not known to do so in the Carolinas. Areas with longleaf pine and turkey oak are favored, according to Webster et al. (1985). However, there appears to be a clear association of the bat with Spanish moss. BEHAVIOR: They forage at night over wooded areas and likely over water. However, this species is apparently not as tied to swamps and bottomlands as are several other species (e.g., Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat and Southeastern Myotis). COMMENTS: The first two state records were of individuals found dead by non-biologists, and thus without any habitat association data. However, in 2008, mist-nets were set up in a wooded residential area in Brunswick County, and a Northern Yellow Bat was captured, providing some indication of the habitat, such that it associates there with broken forested areas, likely where there is Spanish moss. As there are a few records from the extreme southeastern corner of VA, it is possibly a resident in NC farther northward of New Hanover County. Much obviously still is to be learned about its range in NC, and further mist-netting efforts in the southern Coastal Plain are needed. STATUS: Native LIST TYPE: Official May 2021 The Mammals of North Carolina - Second Approximation 1.