The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are bats found from southern North America to South America, specifically from the Southwest United States to northern Argentina. They are ecologically the most varied and diverse family within the order Chiroptera. Most species are insectivorous, but the phyllostomid bats include within their number true predatory species and frugivores. For example, the spectral bat, the largest bat in the Americas, eats vertebrate prey, including small, dove-sized birds. Members of this family have evolved to use food groups such as fruit, nectar, pollen, insects, frogs, other bats, and small vertebrates, and in the case of the vampire bats, even blood.
The Jamaican, common, or Mexican fruit bat is a frugivorous bat species native to the Neotropics.
The Honduran white bat, also called the Caribbean white tent-making bat, is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomatidae. It is the only member of the genus Ectophylla. The genus and the species were both scientifically described for the first time in 1892. It has distinctive, entirely white fur, which is only found in six of the roughly 1,300 known species of bat. It constructs "tents" out of understory plant leaves by strategically cutting the leaf ribs with its teeth; it roosts in these tents during the day. It is a specialist frugivore, consuming almost exclusively the fruits of one species of fig. Females can likely become pregnant twice per year, giving birth to one offspring at a time.
The Brazilian big-eyed bat is a species of phyllostomid bat from South America. The scientific name honours Italian naturalist Giacomo Doria.
Andersen's fruit-eating bat is a bat species found in South America.
The Recife broad-nosed bat, is a species of bat from South America. It is named for the city of Recife in Brazil, where it was first recorded by Oldfield Thomas in 1901.
The Ipanema bat is a bat species of order Chiroptera and family Phyllostomidae. It is found in northern Argentina, Bolivia, southeastern Brazil and Paraguay. It is the only species within its genus.
The little yellow-shouldered bat is a bat species from South and Central America. It is a frugivore and an effective seed disperser.
The tent-making bat is an American leaf-nosed bat (Phyllostomidae) found in lowland forests of Central and South America. This medium-sized bat has a gray coat with a pale white stripe running down the middle of the back. Its face is characterized by a fleshy noseleaf and four white stripes. Primarily a frugivore, it may supplement its diet with insects, flower parts, pollen, and nectar. Its common name comes from its curious behavior of constructing tents out of large, fan-shaped leaves. These roosts provide excellent protection from the tropical rains, and a single tent roost may house several bats at once. This bat is quite common in its geographic range; hence, its conservation status is listed as Least Concern.
The bidentate yellow-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae, native to South America. Formerly classified in the Vampyressa genus, phylogenetic analyses support its inclusion in Vampyriscus.
The Jamaican fig-eating bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is the only living species in the genus Ariteus. The scientific name translates as "yellowish and warlike". There are no recognised subspecies.
The fraternal fruit-eating bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae that is found in drier habitats in Ecuador and Peru. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Jamaican fruit bat, but was raised to species level in 1978. The smallest species in the group of large Artibeus, it has a forearm length of 52–59 mm (2.0–2.3 in), a total length of 64–76 mm (2.5–3.0 in), and a weight of 30–55 g (1.1–1.9 oz).
The flat-faced fruit-eating bat is a South American species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Jamaican fruit bat, but can be distinguished by its larger size, the presence of faint stripes on the face, and of a third molar tooth on each side of the upper jaw. Genetic analysis has also shown that the two species may not be closely related.
Stenodermatinae is a large subfamily of bats in the family Phyllostomidae.
Rosenberg's fruit-eating bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in humid tropical forests in the El Chocó region on the coast of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador at altitudes below 500 m. Until recently it was included within D. glauca, a canopy frugivore that also eats insects. It was elevated to full species status in 2009. The specific name is in honor of collector W. F. H. Rosenberg. The species is regarded as common, but is likely threatened by the deforestation of its habitat.
The brown-bellied broad-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. As a phyllostomid bat, it is characterized by a narrow uropatagium which is fringed with hair; a white dorsal stripe; large inner upper incisors convergent at the tips; and three upper and three lower molars. It is found in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, northern Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and southern Venezuela. It is closely related to Platyrrhinus incarum and Platyrrhinus angustirostris.
Platyrrhinus ismaeli is a species of bat found in South America.
The Bogota fruit-eating bat is a species of bat found in South America.
Sturnira honurensis is a species of bat found in Central America. Previously, it was considered a subspecies of the highland yellow-shouldered bat, but it has been considered distinct since 2010.
The little yellow-shouldered Mesoamerican bat is a species of leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico and Central America.
