Head to head
Greater Sac-winged Bat vs Proboscis Bat
Greater Sac-winged Bat
VS Proboscis Bat
The greater sac-winged bat and proboscis bat are two small insect-eating bats of Neotropical forests that both roost in plain sight on trees, but they use very different strategies.
| Greater Sac-winged Bat | Proboscis Bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Saccopteryx bilineata | Rhynchonycteris naso |
| Habitat and range | Lowland tropical forest from southern Mexico through Central America to Brazil | Wetland and rainforest from Mexico through Central America and much of South America |
| Roosting | In daylight in rows on the buttresses of trees and on walls, near the entrances of hollows | In tidy, evenly spaced head-to-tail lines along branches, trunks, or fallen logs |
| Appearance | Dark back with two pale stripes | A long, pointed nose and mottled grey-brown fur that resembles tree bark |
| Near water | Not specifically documented | Roosts on branches or logs directly over or very close to streams, rivers, and ponds |
| Foraging | Catches small flying insects over forest clearings and along rivers | Flies low and steadily over calm water, picking small insects off near the surface |
| Social signals | Males fan scent from wing sacs and sing, and pups babble like human infants | Not specifically documented |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, widespread and common | Least Concern, with a stable population |
Greater Sac-winged Bat vs Proboscis Bat: common questions
Which bat has perfume pouches?
The greater sac-winged bat, whose males carry small sacs in the wing membrane in which they mix a scent that they fan toward females.
Why is the proboscis bat hard to see?
Its mottled grey-brown fur closely resembles tree bark, so it is well camouflaged when it roosts in the open on branches.
Where do the greater sac-winged bat and proboscis bat live?
The greater sac-winged bat lives in lowland tropical forest from southern Mexico to Brazil, while the proboscis bat lives in wetland and rainforest from Mexico through much of South America.