Mammals
Pallid Bat
Antrozous pallidus · also called desert pallid bat
Landing directly on the desert floor, a pallid bat seizes a scorpion mid-strike, immune to the sting that would trouble most predators, an unusual ground-hunting strategy that sets this pale, large-eared bat apart from nearly all its airborne relatives.
Overview
The pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus, is an insect-eating mammal native to desert and grassland habitat across the arid regions of western North America and parts of Mexico. Its immunity to scorpion venom, unusual ground-hunting behaviour, and reliance on passive listening rather than echolocation alone make it one of the more behaviourally distinctive insectivorous bats found anywhere in North America.
A bat that hunts on foot
Rather than sweeping insects out of the air like most bats, the pallid bat often lands directly on the ground to snatch scorpions and other arthropods, a genuinely unusual hunting style backed by an equally unusual immunity to venomous stings.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable desert and grassland habitat throughout western North America and parts of Mexico.
Pallid Bat: common questions
How is the pallid bat immune to scorpion stings?
This species is remarkably resistant to the venom of scorpions it preys upon, a physiological tolerance that allows it to hunt and consume prey capable of seriously harming many other animals of similar size, though the exact mechanism behind this resistance is still studied by researchers.
How does the pallid bat hunt differently from other bats?
This species frequently lands on the ground to seize prey directly, an unusual foraging strategy among bats, most of which capture insects exclusively while airborne, relying instead on passive listening for the faint sounds of ground-dwelling arthropods.
What does the pallid bat eat?
This species feeds primarily on ground-dwelling arthropods such as scorpions, centipedes, and crickets, along with occasional flying insects caught in the air, making it one of the more dietarily flexible insectivorous bats in North America.
Where does the pallid bat live?
This species is native to desert and grassland habitat across the arid regions of western North America and parts of Mexico, typically roosting in rock crevices, caves, and buildings within reach of open ground it hunts across at night.