ʻōpeʻapeʻa

ʻōpeʻapeʻa (oh-peh ah-peh-ah) or Hawaiian Hoary Bat is endemic to Hawaii. It’s Hawaiian name means ‘half-leaf’ due the shape of its body, which is similar to half a taro leaf. They weigh about half an ounce with wingspans up to 13 1/2 inches. They are nocturnal insectivores. Fossil records indicate that the ʻōpeʻapeʻa were once present on the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, Moloka’i, O’ahu, and Kauai. They are extinct on O’ahu now, possibly due to habitat destruction and poisoning by pesticide use.

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