Pallid Bats (Antrozous pallidus) are large, pale bats with long wings. The head and body are about 5-inches long, and the wingspan is about 18 inches. When seen in flight, these bats can be recognized by their long wings and pale color. The ears are large (longer than 1 inch) and not joined across the forehead. The nose is simple. Around Las Vegas, these are our largest bats.

Pallid bats occur throughout western North America (barely into Canada, south into central Mexico) in arid and semi-arid areas. Pallid bats catch large flying insects on the wing (e.g., beetles, grasshoppers, and moths), and they drop to the ground to catch scorpions, ground beetles, and lizards. Pallid bats seem unaffected by scorpion stings. Pallid bats also catch insects on flowers and thereby pollinate some species of cactus.

Taxonomy: Order: Chiroptera, Family: Vespertilionidae