Pallid bat
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| Antrozous pallidus (LeConte, 1856) |
The Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus) is a species of bat, which ranges from western Canada to central Mexico. Pallid bats have larger eyes than most other species of bats in North America and have pale, long, and wide ears; their fur is generally lightly colored. They have on average a total length of 92 to 135mm.
Pallid Bats are insectivores so they feed on insects such as crickets and scorpions, and are capable of consuming up to half their weight in insects every night. Although they normally catch their prey on the ground; they usually transport their prey to their night roost to eat it.
The mating season ranges from October to February. The female bat gives birth to twins during early June; they weigh approximately 3 to 3.5 g at birth and in four or five weeks are capable of making short flights. They don't attain adult size until about eight weeks of age, and don't become sexually mature until after approximately two years.
Their large ears allow them to hear the footsteps of insects on the ground and they use their voices to make ultrasonic sounds that bounce back to their ears. The reflected sound waves let them sense flying insects and know the environment they are flying through.
Pallid bats are a unique type of bat because they are both heterothermic and homoeothermic. They have the ability to control their body temperature and equilibrate it with the environment during winter hibernation and whenever they rest.
They primarily sleep in rock crevices and buildings. Pallid bats are skilled at climbing and crawling.
[edit] References
- Chiroptera Specialist Group (1996). Antrozous pallidus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006.
- Cunningham,Eric. "About Bats & Blood." http://ebat.tamu.edu/. 15, August 2003. Cardiovascular Systems Dynamics Lab. 11 Feb 2007 <http://ebat.tamu.edu/bats/>.
