Greater Spear-Nosed Bat - Phyllostomus hastatus
Habitat:
Have been found along stream beds, but can also be found in dryer areas. Animals were found equally in open and forested habitat.
Range:
It is in North and central South America.
Activity Cycle:
Nocturnal
Features:
It has a well developed nose, widely separate ears, and short tail. Males have a well developed throat sac. The lower lip has a "V" shaped grove with numerous protuberances.
Size:
They have a body length of 4-5 inches and a wing span of 2 feet.
Social Structure:
Males may defend a group of females with a colony, forming temporary havens of up to 30 females per male. They roost together in caves or tree hollows, sometimes forming colonies of several 1000 individuals.
Life Expectancy:
Live up to 18 years.
Diet:
These bats are omnivorous, eating primarily vertebrates, flowers and pollen. Radio tracking studies found that individuals will travel up to 5km to feeding sites each night.
Reproduction:
Spear-nosed bats may be monoestrus (one reproductive bout per year) or polyestrus (multiple reproductive bouts in a year); the pattern may be geographically dependent. Lactating females have been found throughout the year. They generally have one offspring at a time. Gestation about 4 months.
Status:
Of little concern in the wild according to the IUCN.
Interesting Facts:
- Important pollinator and seed-disperser of certain tropical trees.
- The world’s only true flying mammal.
- Have reasonably good eyesight, but they use echolocation to navigate. They emit high frequency clicking sounds up to 200/second. The sound waves strike objects in their way and an echo is returned to the bat. This allows them to judge distances between itself and objects.
Video:
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