Brazilian Free-tailed Bat

Tadarida brasiliensis

In the southwestern United States the Brazilian Free-tailed Bat lives by the thousands (sometimes millions!) in caves and under bridges. Every evening hundreds of thousands of these bats fly out of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. They feed all night on mosquitoes and other pesky insects.

Look For : A dark brown bat with a "free tail" not attached to a flap of skin.

Length : Body 2-3" long, tail about 1 1/2" long; 1/2 oz.

Habitat : Farmlands and deserts. Roosts in caves, buildings, and under large bridges.

Range : Across southern half of U.S.