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Molossidae
Members of the family Molossidae include the pocketed free-tailed bat, big free-tailed bat and the Mexican free-tailed bat. The pocketed free-tail bat is named after a fold of skin near its tail and lives mostly in the desert regions of Southern California. The big free-tailed bat lives in the rocky outcrops and cliffs in the deserts of Southern California where it rarely encounters humans.The Mexican free-tailed bat lives in almost every habitat in California including deserts and pine forests.
Phyllostomidae
Only two species are members of the family Phyllostomidae: the Mexican long-tongued bat and the California leaf-nosed bat. Although most bats are insectivores, the Mexican long-tongued bat feeds primarily on the nectar and pollen from plants like agave or cactus blossoms. This species lives primarily in southern California. The California leaf-nosed bat has large ears that extend straight up from its head. This species lives in desert habitats of Southern California where it feeds on crickets, beetles and sphinx moths.
Vespertilionidae
The family Vespertilionidae is the largest in California. Several species in this family -- such as the pallid bat, big brown bat, western red bat, hoary bat, California myotis, long-eared myotis, canyon bat and little brown myotis -- tend to live in almost every habitat across California. Other bats in this family, like the western yellow bat and the Arizona bat live in desert habitats of Southern California. One bat in this family, the silver-haired bat, lives primarily in Northern California, while the spotted bat and small-footed dark nose bat live in the eastern part of California.
Endangered Bats
A handful of threatened and endangered bats live in California. The greater bonneted bat, also known as the western mastiff bat, is from the family Molossidae. This species is the largest bat in the U.S. with a wingspan measuring about 2 feet long, according to the Bat Conservation International. This bat is limited to areas with available drinking water and is endangered due to loss of natural springs in Southern California, where it lives. The fringed-tailed bat, long-eared myotis bat, Yuma myotis bat, long-legged myotis bat and Townsend big-eared bat are all endangered Vespertilionidae bats. These bats tend to live in almost every habitat all over California and are endangered due to their loss of habitat.