Bats of Central America: A Field Guide to Families and Species

Central America hosts ~180 bat species. Key families:

Phyllostomidae (Leaf-Nosed Bats) — Most Diverse

• Phyllostominae: Jamaican Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), Honduran White Bat (Ectophylla alba), Pygmy Round-Eared Bat (Lophostoma brasiliense), Jamaican Flower Bat (Erophylla sezekorni), Hairy Flower Bat (E. bombifrons).
• Glossophaginae: Pallas’s Long-Tongued Bat (Glossophaga soricina) — nectar specialist.

Noctilionidae (Bulldog Bats)

• Fish-Eating Bat (Noctilio leporinus): Trawls water for fish/insects.

Vespertilionidae (Evening Bats)

• Antrozoinae: Greater Funnel-Eared Bat (Natalus stramineus), Mexican Funnel-Eared Bat (N. mexicanus).
• Vespertilioninae: Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) — migratory, widespread.

Natalidae (Funnel-Eared Bats)

• Natalus stramineus (also listed above) — cave-roosting, insectivorous.

Many species are pollinators, seed dispersers, or pest controllers. Habitat loss threatens several.