Fun Goblin Bat Facts For Kids

The goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus) is a species of bat endemic to Cuba. Mormopterus minutus is a species of bat from the family of Molossidae, popularly known as the free-tailed bats. Mormopterus is a genus of micro Chiroptera or tiny flying mammals. This particular species of bat is quite vulnerable to becoming endangered soon as they are losing more land every year due to deforestation. The ancestors of the little goblin bat had been reported to have originated from Central America.

Within the family of Molossidae, the goblin bat alongside the Kalinowski's mastiff bat and the Incan little mastiff bat are further categorized as the Kalinowski species group. The diet of this bat is mostly insects and is also found living in human-made structures. The goblin bat is special among the family of Molossidae as this species has the ability to change its style of echolocating depending upon the situation and environment. The goblin bat suddenly rose to popularity due to its goblin-like features and is known throughout the world by bat enthusiasts. The goblin bat, however, is thought of as a myth by a lot of people due to it being endemic to Cuba and not existing anywhere else in the world.

If you like reading up facts about bats, you can definitely check out these hoary bat facts and red bat facts.

What type of animal is a goblin bat?

The little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus) is a species of free-tailed bats. These are bats with tails projecting beyond the length of the uropatagium, the membrane connecting the hind legs with the base of the tails.

What class of animal does a goblin bat belong to?

A little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus) belongs to the class of Mammalia, fundamentally giving birth to live pups. The goblin bat is part of the family of Molossidae and the genus Mormopterus. Other bats in the Molossidae family include the Mexican free-tailed bat and northern free-tailed bat. The goblin bat, along with species, forms a species group of very small bats known as micro Chiroptera.

How many goblin bats are there in the world?

There is no real estimate of how many members of the goblin bat species there are in this world. However, they are assumed to be quite less in number. They exist only in Cuba and are the victim to the rapid destruction of their territory, which has already decreased to a few hundred square miles.

Where does a goblin bat live?

The little goblin bat species (family Molossidae) can be found in the forests of Cuba and in the outskirts of towns. Sometimes during the day, these free-tailed bats can be observed resting they can be found resting in a palm tree or inside human-made structures.

What is a goblin bat's habitat?

This species of bat can be found in the forests surrounding Trinidad and in the localities of Omaja and Guaro in Cuba, sometimes even being observed near human settlements and human-made structures such as bridges and abandoned plants.

Who do goblin bats live with?

The little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus), like the other free-tailed bats, live with a group or in colonies. A colony is a group of bats and can contain hundreds or thousands of these Chiroptera.

How long does a goblin bat live?

There has been no specific research to suggest their longevity. However, like other free-tailed bats, they are biologically capable of living up to 20 years in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus) is a species of free-tailed bats, fundamentally starting to mate at about 14 months. This Chiroptera from the genus Mormopterus mates at night. This member of the Molossidae family, like the other members, bites the female's neck to wake her up and then proceeds to initiate copulation. Sometimes, some members of the Molossidae family are known to start mating by rubbing their heads against the females. A goblin bat can have multiple partners, but females of this species of bat generally give birth once annually.

What is their conservation status?

The little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus) is a species that has been listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This species of bat is a victim of rapid deforestation, habitat loss, and degradation. As of now, the goblin bat can only be found in an area of 770 sq mi (2000 sq km). However, some local bodies argue that the goblin bat is Near Threatened and not Vulnerable yet.

What do goblin bats look like?

These small mammals from this species group usually sport gray or brown dense short fur. This creature is quite easily recognizable through its facial features.  This species was given its name due to its goblin-like facial features. These mammals have membranes acting as wings on both sides, making them capable of flight. They have hair on both sides of the uropatagium and a mostly hairless face. This bat species is known for short forearms, which are about 1.2 in (3 cm) in length. They have short pointy ears with a tragus which is even smaller.

How cute are they?

Unlike the fruit bat (often considered cute), the goblin bat is not exactly known for being cute, but there are many animal fans who would find these bats endemic to Cuba quite fascinating. The goblin bat is especially known for looking ugly or goblin-ish. However, their pups are definitely very cute.

How do they communicate?

The little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus), like other bats, is capable of emitting high-frequency ultrasonic sounds and can interpret sounds surrounding them, similar to how they use echolocation. This species is able to utilize this ability by using echoes to determine the distances or directions of objects.

How big is a goblin bat?

A little goblin bat (Mormopterus minutus) can reach a length of 2.8 in (7.7 cm). They can be categorized as micro Chiroptera or Chiroptera, which are incredibly small. The little goblin bat is about half the size of the hoary bat, a very common medium-sized member of the Chiroptera family.

How fast can a goblin bat move?

Like other bats, the goblin bat(Mormopterus minutus) species is capable of reaching speeds of 60 mph (96 kph).

How much does a goblin bat weigh?

A goblin bat weighs around 0.2-0.3 oz (5-8 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the species are simply referred to as a male goblin bat or a female goblin bat.

What would you call a baby goblin bat?

Baby goblin bats are called pups.

What do they eat?

Members of the goblin bat species have been observed to be insectivores, and the diet of this bat consists of only eating insects. Using echolocation, this species has the ability to locate insects during flight.

Are they aggressive?

As observed in other free-tailed bats, they are not comfortable around humans and might become aggressive if this species of bat feels threatened or irritated.

Would they make a good pet?

A goblin bat is not known for being friendly towards humans. This bat species and family should be kept in the wild and would not make good pets. Plus, it would also be difficult to provide the proper diet for this bat.

Did you know...

The goblin bat possesses the ability to change how they can use echolocation depending upon the environment they are in.

Like other members of the genus Momopterus, the goblin bat mothers require a huge amount of nutrients to support the embryo and hence delay the fertilization process by storing the sperm in their reproductive tracts sometimes.

Like any other bat from this group, goblin bats are capable of flying for miles to search for food or insects.

The goblin bat, though small, can reach very high speeds like the other member of the genus Mormopterus.

Are goblin bats real?

Yes, the goblin bat definitely exists.  The reason why a lot of people think this creature does not exist is due to its name and features. Except for locals and experts, many people have never heard about or seen the goblin bat due to it being endemic to Cuba. Hence many people might not know of its existence. A lot of people also confuse this creature with the vampire bats, and this also causes confusion when distinguishing between the two mammals. The goblin bat became sort of like a myth due to how it looks as well. A lot of people assume the pictures of this bat might be fake or edited, but goblin bats are definitely very real. Fun fact: even megabats (the name of which seems like it's taken out of a video game) exist.

Is the goblin bat endemic?

Yes, a goblin bat is endemic to the country of Cuba. This fundamentally means that the goblin bat is native to Cuba, and the goblin bat is a species that can only be found there.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these ghost bat facts and grey-headed flying fox facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable goblin bat coloring pages.

*Please note: The main image is of a Mexican free-tailed bat from the same Molossidae family as the goblin bat. If you have an image of the goblin bat, please let us know at [email protected].