Head to head
Big-eared Woolly Bat vs Spectral Bat
Big-eared Woolly Bat
VS Spectral Bat
The big-eared woolly bat and spectral bat are two of the largest carnivorous bats of the Americas, both hunting vertebrate prey in tropical forest, but one is far more widespread than the other.
| Big-eared Woolly Bat | Spectral Bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chrotopterus auritus | Vampyrum spectrum |
| Size | A wingspan of around 70 cm, one of the largest carnivorous bats of the Americas | The largest carnivorous bat in the Americas, with a wingspan that can approach a metre |
| Diet | Rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, large insects, and other bats | Birds, rodents, and other bats |
| Hunting | Carries larger prey back to a roost to eat it | Relies on quiet flight and keen hearing to find sleeping or resting prey, closing in by stealthy ambush |
| Social life | Roosts in small groups | Believed to form long-term monogamous pairs that roost together |
| Roost | Caves, hollow trees, and old buildings | Not specifically documented |
| Range | Tropical forest from southern Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina | Rainforest from southern Mexico through Central America into northern South America |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, widespread but uncommon | Near Threatened, with a decreasing population |
Big-eared Woolly Bat vs Spectral Bat: common questions
Which is the largest carnivorous bat in the Americas?
The spectral bat, with a wingspan that can approach a metre.
Do these bats drink blood?
No, both are carnivores that eat whole vertebrate prey such as rodents, birds, and other bats.
Which one is more at risk?
The spectral bat, which is Near Threatened and declining with deforestation, while the big-eared woolly bat is Least Concern.