White-throated Round-eared Bat (Lophostoma silvicola) lives in tropical rainforest across Central and South America. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the White-throated Round-eared Bat
- First recorded in 1836, the white-throated round-eared bat entered science thanks to French naturalist Alcide d'Orbigny. Since then researchers have split it into four subspecies that span from southern Honduras through Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and into the Andes-adjacent regions of Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay.
- These bats carve out homes inside active termite mounds, a strategy that cuts competition, parasite load, predation risk and gives a steady temperature. On Barro Colorado Island, Panama, they use only the nests of Nasutitermes corniger, and researchers have counted as many as nineteen individuals sharing a single roost.
- When hunting, the white-throated round-eared bat flies close to foliage and plucks insects off leaf tops, a feeding style called gleaning. It also supplements this protein-rich diet with fruit and pollen, giving it flexibility when insect prey are scarce. This mixed diet lets the bat thrive in both pristine forest canopies and cleared agricultural patches.
- Stretching from Honduras down to Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil, the white-throated round-eared bat occupies a massive swath of Central and South America, yet it avoids much of the Amazon basin. Its broad presence and commonness earned the IUCN a "least concern" rating.
- Measuring at least 50 mm (2.0 in) from wrist to elbow, this medium-sized bat sports long, soft fur on its body and a stark white throat that contrasts with grey-brown dorsal fur tipped in white. Its large, rounded ears and a nose-leaf fused to the upper lip give it a distinctive face, while populations in Ecuador show bright white patches behind the ears.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCentral and South America
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietInsects and fruit
About the White-throated Round-eared Bat
In the twilight depths of the tropical forest, the White-throated Round-eared Bat emerges as a phantasmal figure, its delicate, rounded ears twitching with every nuance of sound as it navigates the shadows. With a flutter of leathery wings, it dances through the underbrush, its large eyes shining like dark jewels as it pursues the faint whispers of insect prey. As it flits and weaves, its pale throat patch glows like a tiny lantern, illuminating the secret world of this enigmatic, nocturnal hunter.
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