Featured Bats - 2018
-
- Tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) – This sleepy bat is hanging out in a road culvert last winter. These tiny bats (average 4-8 grams) are mostly solitary. During the summer they roost in tree cavities and rock crevices, but seem more sheltered areas like caves and culverts when the temperature drops. As a hibernating species, they are susceptible to the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. The fungus was first detected in Texas in 2017, on this and two other species of cave roosting bats.
-
- Western red bat (Lasiurus blossevillii)- Red bats are solitary species, and prefer to roost in tree foliage. That beautiful red/orange color probably acts as camouflage, making them look like a dead leaf in the trees. Autumn is is migration time for this species, but their migratory ecology and winter behavior is not well understood. The closely related eastern red bat has been found hibernating in leaf litter during cold periods, particularly in the southern US. Want a great excuse to not have to worry about taking up all those autumn leaves? You’re doing it for the bats!
-
- Northern yellow-shouldered bat (Sturnira parvidens)- Little yellow shouldered bats (Genus: Sturnira) are fruit eating bats found throughout Central and South America. These bats are named for the dark patches of orangey-yellow fur on their shoulders. In males, these patches are associated with glands, giving them a sweet-spicy aroma. It’s thought that females might use that smell to choose mates (but we don’t really know).
-
- Greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata)- These small insectivorous bats have white wavy lines on their back, which are thought to help break up bats silhouettes when they hang on trees.
-
- Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)- You know those spectacular (sometimes potentially referred to as ‘spooky) images of thousands of bats emerging out of a cave? If in the US, it’s probably this species: Mexican free-tailed bat. Mexican free-tailed bats are found in caves, bridges and dwellings throughout Texas, the southwest and Florida. Colonies can be huge, with as the Bracken Cave colony estimated to have up to 20 million bats!
-
- Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis)- We all love a sweet treat around Halloween! This Mexican long nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) also has a sweet tooth, feeding on agave nectar. These bats are primary pollinators of agave plants, the cactus used to make tequila and mezcal. So don’t forget to thank a bat the next time you enjoy a margarita!
-
- Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus)- While most of North America waits for and celebrates the cooler weather, the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) migrates southward to warmer climes. One of the migratory routes takes these bats through Northern California, where this beauty was captured. Geologger data has also shown that these bats will use torpor on their way south. It helps that they have a furry uropatagium (skin between the legs and tails of bats), which they can use like a big blanket.
-
- Pygmy fruit-eating bat (Artibeus phaeotis)- These tiny little fruit-eating bats are common in the Neotropics, found through Central America.
-
- Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)- A scary threat facing bats these days is white nose syndrome, a fungal disease that infects hibernating bats. While affected by the disease, big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) populations appear to be stabilizing slightly, a small bit of good news for bats in North America. Big brown bats epitomize the sky puppy look to me, with a characteristic dog-like face.
-
- Spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum)- If you’re a small bat living in the Neotropical, then today’s bat might be the stuff of nightmares. That’s right, the spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum) eats other bats, along with rodents, lizards, and birds. With a maximum wingspan of almost a meter, this carnivorous bat is the largest species in the Western Hemisphere. They roost in small family groups in places like hollow trees and Mayan ruins.
-
- California myotis (Myotis californicus)- This California myotis is one of the smallest bat species, weighing in at a barely there 3-5 grams!
-
- Ghost-faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla)- These bats are found in southern Texas and south into Central America. They roost in caves, in large numbers (in the 1000s).
-
- Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata)- Bats play an important role as seed dispersers in tropical forests. This Seba’s short tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) feeds on Piper (new world pepper plants). They also feed on other Neotropical fruits, flowers and insects.
-
- Fringe-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus)- This bat isn’t afraid to kiss a few frogs, though really more likely to snack on them. That’s right, The fringe lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus)feeds on frogs. These bats are also pretty smart – they can tell the difference between poisonous and edible frogs by the frog mating calls. They don’t only eat frogs, but will also feed on insects.
-
- White-collared fruit bat ((Megaerops wetmorei)- White-collared fruit bats are named for the white tufts of fur found on male’s necks. This species is found in Southeast Asia, ranging from Borneo to the Phillipines. Photo by Dave Hemprich-Bennett.
-
- Heller’s broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus helleri)- This bat is a fruit eater, found in Central and South America. Like many other fruit eating bats in the area, they modify large leaves to serve as roosts, making little tents during the day.
-
- Big eared woolly bat (Chrotopterus auritus)- Also called the woolly false vampire bat, this species is the second largest bat in the Western Hemisphere. These bats are often found roosting in old ruins, such as this mama and pup. They are thought to live in small family groups, with young bats sticking around to help hunt. Like the other large false vampire bat, this species is carnivorous and eats small vertebrates like rodents, lizards and other bats.
-
- Black mastiff bat (Molossus rufus)- Some of us break out our goth outfits for Halloween, while some, like this Black Mastiff Bat (Molossus Rufus) rock the all-black look all year long! Black mastiff bats are in the same family as the free-tailed Bats, named for their tail which extends past the tail membrane. This species likes to roost high off the ground. This is because they need space to fall before they can get enough lift to fly.
-
- Striped hairy-nosed bat (Gardnernycteris(Mimon) crenulatum)- This insect-eating bat is found in Central and South America. This particular individual was captured in Belize as part of a bat research trip. If you look closely at the one wing, you can see a small hole where researchers collected some tissue for genetic analysis. Bat wings are excellent at healing, and these holes will heal up completely in just a few weeks! Photo by Brock Fenton.
-
- Southern yellow bat (Lasiurus ega)- This species is found in parts of the southern US, Mexico down through Argentina. In the spring, females give birth to twins or triplet following almost 3 months of pregnancy. Baby bats are called pups, and might weigh up to 1/3 the size of the mother when born! Photo by Brock Fenton.
-
- Trefoil’s horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus trifoliatus)- Trefoil horseshoe bats are found in the jungles of Southeast Asia, primarily in the forest understory. Horseshoe bats are named for the shape of their nose leaf, shaped like a horseshoe. They can manipulate the edges of the noseleaf to adjust the shape of their echolocation calls, which they emit through their nostrils. Photo by Dave Hemprich-Bennett.
-
- Hairy big-eyed bat (Chiroderma villosum)- Found in Central and South America, this is another fruit-eating bat from the subfamily Stenodermatindae (the tailless bats). This subfamily consists of approximately 80 species, most of which are fruit-eaters.
-
- Townsend’s big eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)- Townsend’s big eared bats prefer to roost in dark, quiet places such as caves and abandoned mines. They are particularly sensitive to human disturbance, and colonies will relocate if disturbed, making them a species of conservation concern. When they sleep/hibernate, they curl their ears back like ram horns, giving them the nickname “ram eared bats”.
-
- Hairy-legged myotis (Myotis keaysi)- This small insect-eating bat is found from southern Mexico down through Central America into parts of South America. For such a small bat, they will travel over a kilometer from their roosts to foraging grounds, and can be found at elevations up to 3300 meters.
-
- Yellow-throated big-eared bat (Lampronycteris brachyotis)- This species is easily identified by its characteristic yellow/orange colored throat. This species is not picky about its diet, eating insects, fruit, pollen and nectar. They have even been documenting munching on spiders and mites! ⠀
-
- Van Gelder’s bat (Bauerus dubiaquercus)- Van Gelder’s bat is an insectivorous bat found in Central America. This bat is great for pest control – one of its favorite snacks is cockroaches, which it gleans from off the ground. There is still a lot unknown about this species, though it is the closest relative of the scorpion-eating Pallid bat.
-
- Hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata)- Of the over 1,300 species of bats, vampire bats are less than 1% of bat diversity, with only 3 species. All three species are found only in Central and South America, and only 1 of those species specializes on mammal blood. This hairy-legged vampire bat is one of the other 2 species that specialize primarily on bird blood. Compared to the other vampire bat species, this bat is more sensitive to disturbance, and will vacate roosts if disturbed.
-
- Greater bulldog bat (Noctilio leporinus)- Also called the fishing bat, this species is found in Central and South America, where it hunts over rivers and other freshwater areas. They have particularly long claws which they use to grab fish out of the water. They also have very long and flattened calcars (cartilaginous structures associated with heel) that helps keep their tail out of the water when hunting.
-
- Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus)- The common vampire bat is one of the 3 species of vampire bats. They have particularly long thumbs, which are specialized for allowing them to scurry around on the ground. Vampire bats do not land directly on their prey, but will land nearby and then approach the prey on the ground. Vampire bats are highly social, and will often groom each other in the roost. Vampire bats will die if they don’t feed almost every night. If a bat misses a night of feeding, another bat will regurgitate a blood meal for that bat.
-
- Wrinkle faced bat (Centurio senex)- Don’t let the creepy fool you. It is unclear why their faces are so wrinkly. In addition to the crazy face, they also have white shoulder patches, a wing pane that is nearly clear, and diagonal wing patterns on the rest of the wing. It is likely that all that decoration is important in mating and courtship, but as these bats are usually rare, it has been hard to confirm.
