Native to Central and South America, this species is found in southern Mexico, down to Brazil, and northern Peru, living in tropical forests, open woodlands, and even near human settlements. It’s famous for its elbow pouches, musical mating songs, and complex social behaviors that make it one of the most intriguing bats in the New World.
One of the bat’s most defining features is its wing sacs, small, gland-filled pouches near the elbows of the male’s wings. During breeding, males fill these sacs with a custom scent cocktail made from glandular secretions, saliva, and urine. Then, they fan the scent toward nearby females during courtship displays—essentially perfuming the air with bat cologne. If the scent passes the female’s test, mating may follow. It’s a rare and elaborate form of chemical communication in mammals and gives the species its common name.
In addition to their scent-based wooing, greater sac-winged bats are also one of the few mammals known to sing. Males produce complex vocalizations—trills, buzzes, and squeaks—that serve as territorial calls and mating songs. Each male has his own unique vocal “signature,” and these songs are often practiced and refined over time, much like birds do. In fact, young males go through a kind of “babbling” phase, much like human infants learning to speak. They practice adult calls for weeks before they’re socially recognized.
These bats are social creatures, often roosting in small, stable groups under tree trunks, cave ledges, or buildings, where they line up in neat rows. Females and their pups form the core of these groups, with males either holding a territory or living on the margins. They are nocturnal insectivores, using echolocation to catch mosquitoes, beetles, moths, and other small insects during flight. Their narrow wings and agile flight make them excellent hunters, especially along forest edges where bugs are plentiful.
Distribution
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
El Salvador
French Guiana
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
VenezuelaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Colony
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
