A Nosy Bat Indeed

In my last post, I explained how the long-nosed bats are found along waterways. That is certainly the case ... and you must be wondering what they are doing in the photo above. Yes, a harem of long-nosed bats has chosen the inside of the umbrella on the floating deck at Laguna Seca as their roost site! You can see them here, roosting in their characteristic head down position, their wings at a 45-degree angle.

You can also see their little noses angled up, the source of their scientific name, Rhychonycteris naso, a combination of the Greek words "rhynchos" and "nykteris" meaning "nose" or "snout" and "bat." The species name, "nasus," also refers to the nose, clearly a defining characteristic of these little creatures.

While these long-nosed bats are hardly cryptic (that is, blending in) with their surroundings, you've got to admit, they've chosen a well protected spot to roost!

A "Day Time" Bat

While most people tend to think of bats as being strictly nocturnal -- and they would be right -- there is a chance to see a very cute little bat during the daylight hours. You'd have to be strolling along a quiet river or slow-moving creek -- Chan Chich Creek is perfect -- and watch for what appears to be a group of moths taking wing ahead of you, fluttering along the water course.

That would be a family group of long-nosed bats (Rhynchonycteris naso; pictured above). They prefer roosting on the undersides of an overhanging branch or rock formations lining river banks. These family groups are in reality harems with one male and several females that can number up to 11 individuals. This is another tiny bat, weighing about the same as a US 5-cent coin. Given its size, it is understandable that its food preferences are likewise minuscule and include midges, mosquitoes, caddis flies, and tiny beetles.