Wildlifeof Thailand
Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat
Molossidae
Photo: (c) scaup, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Mops plicatus
Basic stats
Diet
Flying insects
Habitat
Caves and open landscapes near forest or agriculture
Range
South and Southeast Asia
The wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat is a medium-sized molossid with deeply folded upper lips, long narrow wings and a tail projecting beyond the interfemoral membrane. Its aerodynamic build supports rapid, sustained flight in open air. Enormous cave colonies can contain very large numbers of animals (Mammal Diversity Database; species-level cave ecology studies).
It ranges widely across South and Southeast Asia. Colonies leave caves in dense evening streams and feed on flying insects above forest, fields and water, providing substantial insect predation around agricultural landscapes. Concentration in a limited number of major roosts makes disturbance and harvesting potentially consequential (species-level cave ecology studies). It is Nationally Least Concern (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat eat?
- Flying insects
- What habitat does the Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat live in?
- Caves and open landscapes near forest or agriculture
- Where is the Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat found?
- South and Southeast Asia