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Ghost-faced Bat

Mormoops megalophylla

RareMammal
Illustration of Ghost-faced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla)
Safety note: May carry rabies — do not approach or handle.

The Ghost-faced Bat has one of the most bizarre faces of any North American bat, with a highly convoluted, leaf-like arrangement of facial skin folds around its mouth. It roosts in large, hot caves and mine tunnels in southern Texas and the Mexican border region, sometimes alongside free-tailed bats. Its elaborate facial structure is thought to improve acoustic focus when echolocating in dense, large-colony environments.

Habitat
Hot desert caves and mines in southern Texas and Mexico
Diet
Moths and other flying insects
How common
Rare

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