1 minute read

Moustached Bats: Mormoopidae

Behavior And Reproduction

Moustached bats generally roost together in large colonies. Observations of the Parnell's moustached bats have found approximately 5,000 individuals roosting together.

Moustached bats, like all bats, are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. At night they emerge to forage for food by using echolocation, the detection of an object by listening to reflected sounds that are called out. They catch their prey (animals hunted for food) while flying. In forested habitats, these bats often search for prey, animals they hunt for food, along trails and roads and fly low, within 3.3 feet (1 meter) of the ground. The wings of these bats are associated with the ability to maneuver, fly rapidly, and remain in the air for long periods of time.

At the beginning of the rainy season, females give birth to a single young each year. Gestation (pregnancy) lasts approximately sixty days.

NEW FAMILY: NEW NAME

Mormoopidae have a complex history of how they became their own family. These bats were first described in the early 1800s. For most of the twentieth century, this group was usually considered a subfamily of the Phyllostomidae, and given the name Chilonycterinae. (Some authorities continue to classify the mormoopids as only a subfamily of Phyllostomidae.) Mormoopidae became accepted as a distinct family and in 1972 was given its own name and family.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceMammalsMoustached Bats: Mormoopidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Parnell's Moustached Bat (pteronotus Parnellii): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, MOUSTACHED BATS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS