Mammals
Fringe-lipped Bat
Trachops cirrhosus · also called frog-eating bat
Over a rainforest pond at night, a fringe-lipped bat hangs in the air, head tilted, listening for a male frog calling for a mate, then drops on it.
Overview
The fringe-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus, is a Least Concern bat of tropical forests from southern Mexico to northern South America. Its frog-hunting by ear, learned avoidance of poisonous toads, and warty lips make it one of the most intriguing predators in the Neotropics.
A predator that learns
Scientists have used the fringe-lipped bat to study how animals pick up food preferences from each other, and how frogs and their predators shape one another’s calls.
Status
Least Concern, widespread across tropical forest in Central and South America.
Fringe-lipped Bat: common questions
How does the fringe-lipped bat find frogs?
It listens for the mating calls of calling males and flies in to seize them.
Can the fringe-lipped bat tell edible frogs from poisonous ones?
It can learn to tell the calls of edible frogs from those of poisonous toads, including by watching other bats.
Why is it called fringe-lipped?
It has small wart-like bumps and a fringe along its lips and chin.
Where is the fringe-lipped bat found?
It lives in tropical forest from southern Mexico through Central America to northern South America.