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Animal profile

California Leaf-nosed Bat

Macrotus californicus

MammaliaSonoran and Mojave desert scrub, roosting year-round in mines and caves that stay warmLeast Concern

Field profile

The California leaf-nosed bat is a desert species with very large ears and a triangular noseleaf, and it neither hibernates nor migrates. It gleans large insects from vegetation and the ground using vision and hearing as much as sonar. It depends almost entirely on abandoned mines and warm caves for roosts.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-03-17

California Leaf-nosed Bat

A desert bat that hunts largely by sight

Macrotus californicus has unusually large eyes for a leaf-nosed bat and can locate prey in dim light with its sonar effectively switched off. In experiments it caught insects using vision alone, which few echolocating bats manage.

Read with evidence →

California Leaf-nosed Bat | Daily Animal Facts