Data Sheet

Pronunciation: an-troh-zoh-us pal-id-us

Fun Fact: In addition to eating insects and other arthropods, Pallid Bats also feed on cactus flower nectar and fruits. Research by Bat Conservation International’s Chief Scientist Dr. Winifred Frick suggests that Pallid Bats are more effective at pollinating columnar cacti than some specialized nectar-feeding bats.

Pallid Bats are pale yellow-brown with large ears and blunt pig-like snouts. These medium-large bats (15 –25 grams) are found mainly in desert habitats throughout the western United States, western Canada, and central Mexico. Pallid Bats use their large ears to listen for the sound of prey moving on the ground, and are known to eat a variety of foods including crickets, centipedes, scorpions, cicadas, lizards, rodents, cactus fruit, and nectar.

Pallid Bats are adept at handling and consuming scorpions on the ground, and appear to be resistant to scorpion venom (including that of the bark scorpion, North America’s most venomous scorpion species). In addition to feeding on the fruit and nectar of columnar cacti, they have also been observed visiting agave flowers and likely act as pollinators for those species. When hunting insect and arthropod prey, Pallid Bats rely heavily on sound cues. As a result, they are particularly sensitive to noise pollution. Even when exposed to relatively low-level noise, Pallid Bats in a laboratory setting experienced between a two and threefold reduction in their ability to locate a food item.

Staff Pick: Dr. Winifred Frick, Chief Scientist