Great Fruit-eating Bat
Photo © danielmoreno
Photo © danielmoreno — CC0 1.0 — Source: iNaturalist #276053251The great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus) is a bat species found from Mexico to Brazil and Argentina, as well as in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. == Description == They weigh 10.5 grams (0.37 oz) at birth and grow to 65 grams (2.3 oz) as adults. The heart of A. lituratus contains unique membranous structures not seen in any other mammal. The functions of these differences are still being studied, but may possibly aid in keeping the heart in the correct position while upside down, flight assistance, and energy reservation. In Panama, it has been found that some Artibeus lituratus fly with 18-23g fruits of Dipteryx panamensis (Fabaceae), which is a third of the animal's body weight, up to hundreds of meters from the parent tree. == Threats == Reproductive damage within A. lituratus has been linked with the insecticide deltamethrin. == Gallery ==
Corcovado National Park
Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
+444 birds+48 mammals
Where the Osa Peninsula juts into the Pacific, rainforest descends almost to the tide line, and Corcovado National Park protects one of Central America's most intact…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSanta Rosa National Park
Santa Elena, Costa Rica
+359 birds+30 mammals
Where Pacific-facing slopes descend from volcanic uplands toward the Guanacaste lowlands, Santa Rosa National Park unfolds across a mosaic of tropical dry forest, gallery woodland, and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Sierra de Chiribiquete National Park
Solano, Colombia
+359 birds+27 mammals
Massive table-top mountains rise abruptly from the lowland rainforest of southeastern Colombia, their sheer sandstone cliffs and isolated summits creating some of the most dramatic topography…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Farallones de Cali National Park
Buenaventura, Colombia
+733 birds+27 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal plain meets the western slopes of the Andes, Farallones de Cali National Park sprawls across nearly 3,500 square kilometers of dramatic topography…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Uramba Bahía Málaga National Park
Buenaventura, Colombia
+308 birds+15 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal rainforest descends to mangrove estuaries and rocky headlands, Uramba Bahía Málaga National Park unfolds across nearly 1,000 square kilometres of Colombia's Valle…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSoberanía National Park
Cristóbal, Panama
+495 birds+34 mammals
Rainforest and riverine woodland blanket the rolling terrain of this 714-square-kilometre national park in Colón Province, where the Caribbean watershed feeds a maze of streams and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de Tamaulipas
El Porvenir, Mexico
+98 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone peaks thrust skyward through dense subtropical forest, Mexico's northeastern frontier reveals one of the continent's most biodiverse mountain ranges. Canyons carved by perennial rivers…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEMontes Azules
Candelaria, Mexico
+395 birds+47 mammals
Where jungle-clad limestone plateaus plunge into canyon systems carved by the Usumacinta River, Mexico's most pristine rainforest reserve unfolds across the Lacandón region of Chiapas. Montes…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVELaguna del Tigre National Park
Petén, Guatemala
+399 birds+29 mammals
Where the Petén lowlands dissolve into wetland and forest, Laguna del Tigre National Park protects one of Guatemala's most ecologically vital landscapes. This sprawling reserve encompasses…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRincón de la Vieja National Park
Liberia, Costa Rica
+451 birds+30 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise abruptly from the Guanacaste lowlands, Rincón de la Vieja National Park sprawls across a landscape shaped by geothermal drama and seasonal extremes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.