The greater bulldog bat or fisherman bat (''Noctilio leporinus'') is a species of fishing bat native to

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

(Spanish: ''murciélago pescador''; Portuguese: ''morcego-pescador''). The

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

uses echolocation to detect water ripples made by the fish upon which it preys, then uses the pouch between its legs to scoop the fish up and its sharp claws to catch and cling to it. It is not to be confused with the lesser bulldog bat, which, though belonging to the same genus, merely catches water insects, such as water striders and water beetles. It emits echolocation sounds through the mouth like '' Myotis daubentoni'', but the sounds are quite different, containing a long constant frequency part around 55 kHz, which is an unusually high frequency for a bat this large.

General description

The greater bulldog bat is a large bat, often with a combined body and head length of . It generally weighs from . Males tend to be larger than females, with the former averaging and the latter averaging . They also differ in fur color. Males have bright orange fur on the back while females are dull gray. However, both sexes have pale undersides and may have a pale line that runs down the middle of the back. The males do not have a baculum. The bulldog bat has rounded nostrils that open forward and down. It has elongated, pointed ears with a tragus that gets ridged at the outer edge. The bulldog bat has smooth lips but its upper lip is divided by a

skin fold Skin folds or skinfolds are areas of skin that are naturally folded. Many skin folds are distinct, heritable anatomical features, and may be used for identification of animal species, while others are non-specific and may be produced either by ind ...

while its bottom lip has a wart above skin folds that extend to the chin. It is these features that give the bulldog bat its name, as it resembles a

bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. When in flight, the bat's wings move slowly. This species is a capable swimmer and will use its wings to paddle. The greater bulldog bat also has prominent cheek pouches which are useful for holding its food. Its hind legs and feet are particularly large, capable of 180° rotation when hunting. The leg bones are significantly compressed in order to be streamlined towards the dragging direction.

Distribution and variation

The greater bulldog bats range stretches from Mexico to Northern Argentina and also includes most Caribbean islands. While vast, its range is also patchy as the bat is limited to mostly well-watered lowland and coastal areas as well as river basins. There is geographical variation in the species and are classified as subspecies. Bats around the Caribbean Basin are large and usually have the pale mid-dorsal stripe, despite varying in pelage. These bats are known as ''N. l. mastivus''. In Guianas and the Amazon Basin, the bats are small and dark and often lack the pale mid-dorsal stripe. These bats are known as ''N. l. leporinus''. In eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and northern Argentina bats tend to be large and pale, more so than the other subspecies. They are known as ''N. l. rufenscenes.

Ecology and behavior

The greater bulldog bat lives primarily in tropical lowlands. The bats are commonly found over ponds and streams as well as estuaries and coastal lagoons. They live in colonies that number in the hundreds. In Trinidad, bulldog bats rest in hollow trees like silk-cotton,

red mangrove Red mangrove may refer to at least three plant species: * ''Rhizophora mangle'' * ''Rhizophora mucronata'' * ''Rhizophora stylosa'' {{Short pages monitor