Safety note: May carry rabies — do not approach or handle.
This desert bat is uniquely adapted to ground-hunt prey by listening passively for the rustling sounds of scorpions, beetles, and crickets—it can find and capture prey in complete darkness without using echolocation. The pallid bat is immune to the venom of the Arizona bark scorpion and has been found to carry scorpions back to the roost. Its colonies in buildings and rock crevices emit an audible, musky odor that is distinctive in warm desert nights.
Habitat
Arid desert scrublands, rocky canyons, and buildings
Diet
Scorpions, crickets, beetles, and large terrestrial insects
How common
Common
Recent Pallid Bat sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Pallid Bat? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free