Hipposideridae – Old World leaf-nosed bats

Another family of leaf-nosed bats is those of the Old World (Asia, Africa, Australia). Their noseleafs are complex and varied in shape, including rounded, trident- and petal-shaped. They are insectivores who snatch their prey out of the air in mid-flight. Like other leaf-nosed bats, their nose produces high-frequency sounds for echolocation and not for smell.

They roost in groups, in various places, from caves to tombs and even in porcupine burrows! These bats give birth to a single pup. The pups cling to fake teats (these teats don’t produce milk) on their mum’s tummies and are carried by their mothers until they learn to fly.