Greater bulldog bat

Noctilio leporinus · The greater bulldog bat is a fishing bat native to Latin America that hunts fish right off the water's surface.

Also called Fisherman bat.

Greater bulldog bat
Photo: E Santos Ortega, CC BY 4.0
Greater bulldog bat
Photo: E Santos Ortega, CC BY 4.0
Greater bulldog bat
Photo: E Santos Ortega, CC BY 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderChiroptera
FamilyNoctilionidae
GenusNoctilio
SpeciesNoctilio leporinus

Where it lives

Coasts, rivers and lakes of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Fun facts

  • It detects ripples made by fish with echolocation, then scoops them up with a leg pouch and grabs them with sharp claws.
  • Males sport bright orange fur while females are dull gray.
  • Its wingspan stretches to about 1 meter (3 feet).
  • It's a capable swimmer, using its wings like paddles to move through the water.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).