The ghost bat emerges from its cave at sunset and hunts continuously from dusk 'til dawn. Most bats have poor vision and rely on sonar to find prey, but this fierce predator sees its prey clearly in the night and overpowers victims as large as itself with a powerful bite. This flying mammal can even scoop victims out of the air with its wings.
Fly by Night: The ghost bat got its name from its pale white fur. Also, the thin membrane of skin that makes up its translucent wings seems to glow like a ghost in the moonlight.
See Ya: The phrase "blind as a bat" doesn't apply to the ghost bat. This creature's large eyes allow it to see potential prey in the dark and can track their movement on the ground before attacking.
Heavy Hitter[]
The ghost bat appears like a phantom in the night.
The ghost bat is the biggest carnivorous bat in the world, so to fulfill its appetite, it needs to hunt big prey. Insects are okay as appetizers, but this flying mammal's main course is made up of reptiles, birds and small mammals. Powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth help this hunter kill large victims with a single bite. The ghost bat is even known to invade the roosts of other bat species, kill one quietly and fly off to eat its catch.
Big Ears: This bat's large ears pick up the echoes of small squeals it emits through its nose. Most bats use this tactic, called echolocation, to find prey, but this one uses it only to close in on a victim at the last instant.
Favorite Spot: Some ghost bats fly to the same hunting grounds night after night if prey is plentiful. They may use a perch so often that piles of the bats' dung and leftover bones from their victims litter the ground.
Get the Scoop[]
- The ghost bat is so agile in the air that it can catch small insects in mid-flight. The bat scoops up these victims in its wings and holds them in its mouth while it flies back to its favorite perch.
- Hanging upside down, the bat quickly snips its victim's head and wings off with its sharp teeth, then devours the body. This bat stays on the hunt all through the night, so it washes itself and flies back out.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The image on the back of the flying ghost bat is also used in the Wildlife Explorer Series.