Night Reference Libraries
The ghost-faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla) is one of two living species within its genus. It has a large range that includes Peru, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia. In the United States, it can be found in Texas, and there have been records of it appearing in California and Arizona. It prefers a habitat within warm and humid environments. The ghost-faced bat is...
The fringe-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosis) is the only species within its genus, Trachops. This species, as well as its three subspecies, can be found in southern Brazil and from southern Mexico to Bolivia. It prefers a habitat within moist or tropical forests, with abundant water sources. It chooses roosts in hollow logs and caves, and can be seen roosting with other bat species. The...
The pale spear-nosed bat (Phyllostomus discolor) is native to Central and South America. Its range extends from southern Mexico to Peru, and throughout southeastern Brazil. It can also be found in Bolivia and Paraguay. There is a controversial thought that it occurs in Argentina, but this is based off only one individual that has actually disappeared. It prefers a habitat within agricultural...
Seba's short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) is native to South and Central America, and it was one of the most widespread of bat species in that range. It prefers to live in habitats with arid deciduous and moist evergreen forests. It will roost in colonies numbering between 10 and 100 individuals within hollow trees, caves, and tunnels. Its main diet consists of over 50 species of fruits,...
California Leaf-nosed Bat, Macrotus californicus The California leaf-nosed bat (Macrotus californicus) is common to the United States and Mexico. The range of this leafed nose bat includes New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and in the scrub habitats located in the Mohave and Sonoran deserts in California. They can also be found in western Mexico. The California leaf-nosed bat is brown in color....
The northern long-eared myotis, a member of the vesper bat family, is primarily found in the coniferous forests in Newfoundland to the Yukon and in the southeastern United States, in places like Florida. Some of these bats have been found as far east as Texas and British Columbia. They can weigh between.2 and .4 grams, making it a very small bat. The average body length of the northern...
The western pipistrelle, commonly known as the canyon bat, is a one of over three hundred known species of evening (or vesper) bats. It can be found in the western United States and in Mexico, preferring to roost in small rock crevices around dry bush lands and deserts. Known as the smallest bat in the world, males can be up to 2.5 inches, while females are slightly larger with an average of...
The Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas), also known as the Australia False Vampire Bat, is a species of bat endemic to Australia. It is named for the extremely thin membrane of its wings that makes it appear ghostly at night. They inhabit northern Australia, from the east to west coast. They roost in caves, mines, and tunnels in small colonies, usually of less than a hundred bats. Ghost Bats have...
The leaf-nosed bats, family Phyllostomidae, are ecologically the most varied and diverse group within the whole order Chiroptera. Phyllostomid bats include within their number true predatory species. They take vertebrate prey including small Dove -sized birds. One example is the False Vampire, the largest bat in the Americas. Members of this family have evolved to utilize food groups. These...
Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are nocturnal, luminous beetles of the family Lampyridae. These names come from the fact that some species as adults emit flashes of light to attract mates, using special light-emitting organs in the abdomen. The enzyme luciferase acts on luciferin to stimulate light emission. This reaction is of scientific interest, and genes coding for these substances...
