Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 3,517
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is a medium-sized bat native to North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed of any animal, reaching level flight speed of up to 99 mph (160 km/h). It also flies the highest among bats, at altitudes around 3,300 m (10,800 ft).
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Mexican free-tailed bat”.