Mouse-Tailed Bats: Rhinopomatidae - Physical Characteristics

Also known as long-tailed bats, the bats in this family have a tail almost as long as their head and body. This slender, long tail is unique among all the bats. These bats are small to medium-sized, about 2 to 3.5 inches (5 to 9 centimeters), not including the tail. Their backs are generally gray-brown to dark brown, and they may be lighter on their underside.

The ears of mouse-tailed bats are rather large and connected by a band of skin across the forehead. The ears extend past the nose when they are laid forward. Their snouts have a small, rounded noseleaf, a horseshoe-shaped flap of skin around the nose.