Fun Pallid Bat Facts For Kids

The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) is a North American bat species. Pallid bats can be found in Canada, Central Mexico, and a few states of the USA, such as Texas, New Mexico, Southern Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nevada, and some more. The adults have a body length of about 2.5-3 in (6.3-7.6 cm) and a tail length of about 1.5-1.75 in (3.8-4.4 cm). Their average weight is 0.4-0.8 oz (14-25 g). They have dark cream-colored dorsal fur and white underbelly fur. They have large pointed ears that help them hunt. Their diet mostly consists of insects. The pallid bat diet includes insects like ground beetles, scorpions, crickets, centipedes, praying mantis, cicadas, spiders, and moths. They search for food close to the ground. They live in large colonies made up of 12-100 individuals. Most colonies have about 20 bats. They day roost in rock crevices, buildings, caves, and cracks. And they night roost closer to their foraging grounds. Their conservation status is Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. Their summer and winter habitats are also different. Their mating season is from August- October. The females give birth to one to two pups.

For more relatable content, check out these ghost bat facts and fennec fox facts for kids.
 

What type of animal is a pallid bat?

The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) is a North American bat species. It can be found in Canada (British Columbia), Central Mexico, and a few states of the United States of America like Texas, New Mexico, Southern  Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nevada, and some more.

What class of animal does a pallid bat belong to?

The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) belongs to the Mammalia class of the Animalia kingdom.

How many pallid bats are there in the world?

The exact number of wild pallid bats is not yet known. But since they are a Least Concern species, we can assume that their populations are safe in the wild.

Where does a pallid bat live?

Pallid bats are found mostly in North America. Their geographic habitat ranges over Canada, Mexico, and the USA. In the USA, they can be found in the states of Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nevada, and some more.

What is a pallid bat's habitat?

Pallid bats can mostly be found in arid and semi-arid habitats. This is why they are also called desert bats. They can be found in rocky areas near water sources when they day roost. They like cracks and crevices like rock crevices, caves, rocky outcrops, buildings, and tile roofs. But the species night roosts in areas that are closer to their foraging ground. Their night roost places are less protected and hidden than their day roost places. Roosting is a central part of their behavior.  These bats also go through bouts of torpor sometimes. During wintertime, if these bats have bouts of hibernation, they may be found in buildings, caves, or rock crevices. The pallid bat habitat in winters and summers is also very different.  

Who do pallid bats live with?

Pallid bats are social creatures and live in groups. Their groups are called colonies. And the size of these colonies can range anywhere from 12-100 individuals. Most of these colonies have more than 20 bats. The largest recorded colony had 162 individuals. During the summer, the male and female bats can roost together, but also sometimes roost in colonies comprised of one sex. This is because sometimes the males do not want to get involved with females and their pups when they cannot forage on their own.

How long does a pallid bat live?

Pallid bats can live up to be of 9-10 years of age in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

The pallid bat mating season is from August-October. Breeding happens in October. Females can store the sperm in their uterus while hibernation occurs in winter, and fertilization happens in spring. Their gestation period is about 8-10 weeks. They usually give birth to two pups but sometimes also to one pup. Pups are usually born in May and June. They learn to fly after four to five weeks of birth. They are weaned for about six to eight weeks. Females might form maternity colonies and raise their young there. The females go foraging with their young clinging to them for a few weeks after their birth.

What is their conservation status?

The pallid bat is listed in the IUCN Red List as a Least Concern species. This means they are not threatened in the wild. Their population trend is also stable.

What do pallid bats look like?

The adult pallid bats have an average body length of about 2.5-3 in (6.3-7.6 cm) and a tail length of about 1.5-1.75 in (3.8-4.4 cm). Their forearm length ranges from 1.8-2.4 in (4.5-6 cm). The average body weight of adult bats is about 0.4-0.8 oz (14-25 g) and their wingspan is about 15-16 in (38-40 cm). They are a large bat species. They have large ears that point forward. Their large ears also help them hear better. They have soft, wooly fur. The fur is cream and slightly brown on their backs and white on their underbelly. They have a pig-like snout on their nose. Their dental formula is I 1/1, C 1/1, P 1/2, M 3/3 which puts them at a total of 28 teeth. They have six different species under the genus and these species sometimes have varied colors. Habitat also affects their size. The bats who live near an abundant food source are larger while bats from more arid areas are smaller.

How cute are they?

They are a cute bat species. Especially because of their wooly, white, and cream fur.

How do they communicate?

These bats communicate with each other via vocalizations. There are some different kinds of calls that they use to communicate with the members of their group. They use these calls to locate each other before roosting somewhere. These bats also use echolocation to find prey and to navigate in the night. Their large ears help them locate prey while hunting close to the ground.

How big is a pallid bat?

The average body length of adult pallid bats is 2.5-3 in (6.3-7.6 cm), and their average tail length is 1.5-1.75 in (3.8-4.4 cm).

How fast can a pallid bat fly?

The exact speed of these bats is not known. However, the pallid bat has a great wingspan that helps them fly fast. They are also very good at catching prey while flying.

How much does a pallid bat weigh?

The average weight of pallid bats is about 0.4-0.8 oz (14-25 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the males and females of this species. They are simply called male pallid bats and female pallid bats.

What would you call a baby pallid bat?

Like every other bat species, the young pallid bats are called pups.

What do they eat?

The pallid bat is a mostly insectivorous animal. The pallid bat food includes ground beetles, scorpions, crickets, praying mantis, cicadas, centipedes, and spiders. These bats fly close to the ground and use their large ears and echolocation to find prey. Then they swoop in and grab their prey and eat them. They sometimes carry the larger prey to their roosting place and remove the hard parts of their body before eating it. The larger bats prey on larger insects.

Are they dangerous?

They are not dangerous to humans. They eat insects and these nocturnal creatures try to stay away from humans.

Would they make a good pet?

These bats are social, wild animals. They should not be kept as pets. They need to be with their own species in order to thrive.

Did you know...

Pallid bats have different day and night roosts. During the day they typically roost in safer places like buildings, rock crevices, and caves, where the temperature is constant. But during the night they roost close to their foraging ground. Roosting is also different during summer and winter because they hibernate in winter.

The females sometimes form maternity colonies where they raise their young.

These bats can eat up to half of their weight in one night.

Is the pallid bat endangered?

No, the pallid bat is not an endangered species. In the IUCN Red List, they have a Least Concern status. Their population trend is also stable. The pallid bat threats include some large predators such as wild cats, housecats, foxes, coyotes, owls, and snakes.

Why are they called pallid bats?

Pallid means pale, and the white and cream color of the bat earned them their names. Since they prefer arid, desert habitats, they are also called the desert pallid bat.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our hoary bat facts and Mexican free-tailed bat facts pages.

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