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Animal profile

Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Tadarida brasiliensis

MammaliaCaves, bridges and building crevices across arid and semi-arid country, foraging over farmland and open airLeast Concern

Field profile

The Mexican free-tailed bat is a fast, narrow-winged insect eater named for the tail that projects beyond the membrane between its legs. It forms some of the largest aggregations of mammals known, with certain Texas caves holding millions of individuals in summer. Emergences at dusk are visible on weather radar.

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

2023-10-21

Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Free-tailed bats hunt at aeroplane altitudes

Radar and radio-tracking place foraging Mexican free-tailed bats well over a kilometre above the ground, intercepting migrating moths in high-altitude airflows. The behaviour explains both their long narrow wings and their unusual speed.

Read with evidence →

Mexican Free-tailed Bat | Daily Animal Facts