One of my all-time favorite bats is the pallid bat (
Antrozus pallidus). I had the great joy of handling some of these guys when at a bat conservation and management workshop in Arizona. A member of the Vespertilionidae family, these insectivores are unique, even in the bat world. Their over-sized ears (even by bat standards!) allow them to detect insects by their footsteps! Their hearing is so amazing that they can respond with uncanny precision to split-second sounds from up to 16 ft away. After capturing its prey, it will carry its meal to a perch for consumption. They tend to like thicker, harder-bodied insects like beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers. Another cool pallid bat fact: they eat scorpions and are immune to scorpion stings!! Pallid bats are found in the western United States. These solitary bats typically roost in rock crevices, buildings and bridges in arid and semi-arid regions.
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