Pallas's long-tongued bat

Language English

Onglets

Description

Distinguishing features

The Pallas's long-tongued bat has a long, thin muzzle, a long tongue, a nose leaf and short ears. It varies in colour from pale grey to brown.

Reproduction

These bats may reproduce twice a year. The length of gestation may vary depending on the season. The female bears one, or rarely two, young per clutch.

Diet

Pallas's long-tongued bats eat mainly insects, fruit, pollen, nectar and different parts of plants.

Predators

Their enemies are raptors, owls, felines, snakes and sometimes even other bats.

Habitat

They prefer to live in dry, open locations. They roost in caves, buildings, crevices in rocks and hollow tree trunks. These bats are found from Mexico to Paraguay, as well as in northern Argentina, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Ecology, behaviour

An infant is born hind feet first. From there, it shelters under one of its mother's forelimbs in order to nurse. After about one month, the young bat is able to fly and feed itself. Pallas's long-tongued bats hover in place while feeding on the nectar of flowers. It takes them just a few seconds to insert their tongues in a flower and drink the nectar. The species plays an important role in pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds.

French name

Glossophage de Pallas

Scientific name

Glossophaga soricina

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Chiroptera

Family

Phyllostomidae

Size

Length: 5.3 to 6.5 cm

Weight

Average: 10.5 g

Status

Not enough information is available on populations in the wild to identify this species' status.

Menu header en

Languages

Space for life

About Us

Menu header Billetterie en

Global menu

Space for Life on social media

Explore the splendours of the sky

Monthly Sky

Support the Space for Life

Montréal Space for Life Foundation

Subscribe to the Naturally curious newsletter

School newsletter

Our institutions’ expertise

Research and conservation at Space for Life