Head to head
Pallas's Long-tongued Bat vs Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat
Pallas's Long-tongued Bat
VS Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat
Pallas's long-tongued bat and the tube-lipped nectar bat are both Neotropical nectar-feeding bats that hover at flowers, but one is a widespread generalist and the other a specialist with an extreme tongue.
| Pallas's Long-tongued Bat | Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Glossophaga soricina | Anoura fistulata |
| Tongue | A long tongue tipped with tiny bristles for lapping nectar | The longest tongue relative to body length of any mammal, around one and a half times its body length, coiled in the rib cage |
| Feeding | Hovers in front of flowers, beating its wings very fast | A small, agile flier that hovers briefly in place while feeding |
| Flower partners | Pollinates a wide range of tropical plants | The primary, and sometimes apparently sole, pollinator of a long-tubed flower, an example of close co-evolution |
| Diet | Mainly nectar and pollen, with some fruit and insects for protein | Nectar, especially from a single long-tubed flower species |
| Range | Forests, scrub, and gardens from Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina | A limited part of the Andes in Ecuador |
| Habitat | Rainforest and other forest | Rainforest and mountain cloud forest |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, widespread and common | Least Concern, though trends are not well documented |
Pallas's Long-tongued Bat vs Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat: common questions
Which bat has the longest tongue?
The tube-lipped nectar bat, whose tongue is the longest relative to body length of any mammal, around one and a half times its body length.
How do both bats feed?
Both hover in front of flowers and lap up nectar with a long tongue.
Where do Pallas's long-tongued bat and the tube-lipped nectar bat live?
Pallas's long-tongued bat lives from Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina, while the tube-lipped nectar bat lives in a limited part of the Andes in Ecuador.