Shade

"Shade is based on a Silver-Haired Bat. I thought they were very dashing-looking creatures. I liked the fact this was a bat that lived in the same part of the world as me (eastern Canada). These are small creatures, with a wing span of a few inches. Their bodies are about the same size as mice. They’re insectivores, which means they eat only insects." - K.O.

The Silver-Haired Bat

Silver-haired bats are among the most common bats in the forests of North America . Their common name is derived from their brown-to-black hair which has a silvery tint. Their wingspan can stretch up to 25 centimeters.

silver-haired bats form colonies in tree cavities or hollows of both coniferous and deciduous trees, particularly within old growth forests characteristic of the Northern Boreal Ecoregion. They hibernate in winter usually to second forest roosting site to which they will migrate over long distances. In more northern regions they will also hibernate in caves.

The diet of the silver-haired bat consists primarily of small, soft-bodied insects such as flies, midges, leafhoppers, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, ants, crickets, and occasional spiders.

Sources: Bat Conservation International, Animal Diversity Web