Smoky Bats: Furipteridae

Smoky bats are also commonly called thumbless bats. While they do have a thumb, it is small, enclosed in the edge of the wing, and can appear invisible. Other bats, on the other hand, use their thumbs to grip surfaces while crawling, and to hang right side up while giving birth. Smoky bats are among the smallest of bats, having a head and body length combined of 1.4 to 2.6 inches (3.5 to 5.8 centimeters). Their forearms are about 1.2 to 1.6 inches (3 to 4 centimeters) long. Females are slightly larger than males.

These bats appear delicate, with broad wings that are relatively long. The snout is pig-like in appearance, being short and turned up at the tip. Set close together, the nostrils are oval or triangular. Ears resemble funnel-eared bats. They are separate, large, and funnel-shaped, reaching almost to the jaw line. These bats have tiny eyes that are hidden by fur and their large ears. They also have long legs and short feet, with claws on the end of their feet. The tail is relatively long, but it does not reach past the edge of the tail membrane (layer of thin skin).

The fur is generally coarse. The smoky bat has triangular, wart-like fleshy projections around its mouth and lips.