Data Sheet

Diet: Trumpet-nosed bats feed on nectar and pollen. Plants visited by this bat include kapok trees, columnar cacti, agave, shaving-brush trees, and Spanish elm. They will also visit banana flowers. 

Fun Fact: Trumpet-nosed bats don’t specialize on deep or tube-shaped flowers, despite what their unusually long noses and tongues might suggest. Instead, these characteristics help trumpet-nosed bats access to a broad range of flower species with maximum efficiency.

Appearance: The nose of the trumpet-nosed bat is elongated, making up about ½ of the entire length of their skull.Their tongue is long, capable of extending over 7 cm. Trumpet-nosed bats are medium sized (~ 15 grams), with small, rounded ears and short greyish brown fur. 

Habitat: Trumpet-nosed bats are found only along the Pacific coast of Mexico, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. They live in thorn and tropical dry forests, which have a distinct rainy and dry season. Knowledge about their roosting habitat is limited, though they have been found roosting in canyons, caves, and culverts. 

Conservation Concerns: Due to their restricted range, trumpet-nosed bats are listed as Vulnerable by IUCN. Their estimated population size is fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Primary threats to this species include habitat fragmentation and loss due to expanded agricultural and fire. The trumpet-nosed bat is listed as “in danger of extinction” by Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). 

Additional Resources:

• Bat Species of the World
• IUCN RedList