Mammals · Chiroptera · Mormoopidae

Ghost-Faced Bat

Mormoops megalophylla

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The ghost-faced bat — also called in Spanish murciélago barbudo or murciélago de espalda desnuda — has one of the strangest faces of any mammal: fleshy folds around the mouth, a sort of funnel below the lower lip and ears joined above the forehead. It lives in colonies that can number tens of thousands of animals in warm, humid caves, from southern Texas to Peru and Venezuela. It hunts moths and other insects in agile flight close to the vegetation.

Weight

12 g – 19 g

Size

5 cm – 7 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestDesertInsectivore Nocturnal Colonial Rainforest Temperate forest Desert Mammal

12countries

Fun facts

Its wings meet over the back, so that the fur along the spine is hidden and it appears to have none: hence its other Spanish name, murciélago de espalda desnuda, the naked-backed bat.
Its cave colonies reach tens of thousands of animals, and the air temperature inside can rise several degrees from the animals' body heat alone.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Warm, humid caves and mine tunnels, in dry forest and semi-arid country
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormoops_megalophylla