The California leaf-nosed bat has gray to dark brown pelage, with often-paler ventral fur. The California leaf-nosed bat prefers hunting sans echolocation, using its sizeable ears and eyes to detect its prey outright. This bat mostly eats large insects and is one of the few bat species to eat caterpillars; it may supplement its insect diet with cacti fruit. This desert species can be found in scrub habitat of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. It is not well-suited to long flight and does not migrate nor hibernate. Mothers rear one pup per year. The California leaf-nosed bat roosts in rocky areas, caves, and mines and can survive to 20-30 years of age in the wild.