Mammals
Great Fruit-eating Bat
Artibeus lituratus
In a tropical city park at night, a great fruit-eating bat plucks a fig from a branch and flies off with it, one of the largest fruit-eating bats of the American tropics.
Overview
The great fruit-eating bat, Artibeus lituratus, is a Least Concern leaf-nosed bat found from Mexico to southern Brazil. Its large size, fig-eating habits, and ease in cities make it one of the most visible and important seed-spreading bats of the Neotropics.
A gardener of tropical cities
Because it thrives among fruiting trees in parks and gardens, the great fruit-eating bat helps keep tropical urban greenery growing.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common across a large range.
Great Fruit-eating Bat: common questions
How is the great fruit-eating bat different from the Jamaican fruit bat?
It is larger, though both have pale stripes on the face and feed mainly on ripe fruit such as figs.
How does the great fruit-eating bat help forests?
It carries fruit away to feed and drops the seeds as it flies, helping tropical forests regrow.
Does the great fruit-eating bat live in cities?
Yes, it has adapted well to parks and gardens, where it feeds on fruiting trees.
Where is the great fruit-eating bat found?
It lives in forests and woodland from Mexico through Central America to southern Brazil.