Family: Phyllostomidae, New World Fruit Bats view all from this family
Description Grayish to dark brownish above, with fur nearly white at base; paler below. Large ears. Erect triangular flap on nose. L 3 1/4-3 5/8" (84-93 mm); T 1 1/4-1 5/8" (33-41 mm); HF 1/2" (12-14 mm); FA 1 7/8-2 1/8" (47-55 mm).
Warning Bats are susceptible to rabies, a serious viral disease that results in death if untreated. Rabid bats rarely attack humans or other animals, but bats found lying on the ground may be rabid. Never touch or pick up any bat. Stay away from any animal that seems to be acting strangely and report it to animal-control officers. If you are bitten by a possibly rabid animal, you must immediately consult a doctor for a series of injections; there is no cure once symptoms emerge.
Breeding Mating, fertilization, and implantation occur in fall; fetal development slows until March; young born in June.
Habitat Desert scrub. By day, roosts in abandoned mine tunnels.
Range Southern California, extreme s Nevada, and w Arizona.
Discussion The California Leaf-nosed Bat is the only bat in North America north of Mexico with large ears and leaf-like projections on the nose. It roosts by day, usually fairly close to the entrance of a mine tunnel, in small groups of up to 100 bats, which do not touch each other. This species cannot crawl on thumbs and toes like most bats, but instead often dangles by one leg from a mine tunnel's ceiling, which it can cross in a swinging stride, using its hindlegs alternately. After dark, this species drops from its perch into flight. Leaf-nosed Bats eat various insects, including some flightless forms, such as crickets and some beetles, which they probably detect as they hover, swooping down to seize them from the ground. After feeding for about an hour, they retreat to their night roosts in a sheltered area. They do not hibernate. Male California Leaf-nosed Bats occupy bachelors' quarters in July and August, soon thereafter joining the females for the mating season.
