Mammals · Chiroptera · Phyllostomidae

Spectral Bat

Vampyrum spectrum

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The spectral bat or false vampire bat is the largest bat in the Americas, with a wingspan that can approach a metre. Despite its name it does not drink blood: it is a predator that hunts sleeping birds, rodents, small opossums and other bats, which it locates by combining echolocation with very fine hearing. It lives in stable family groups made up of a pair and their young, which roost in the holes of large trees. It depends on mature forest and disappears when that forest is fragmented.

Weight

145 g – 190 g

Size

12.5 cm – 13.5 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

RainforestCarnivore Nocturnal In pairs Near Threatened Rainforest Mammal

16countries 59parks5same family

Fun facts

alimentaciónFor all its name it does not drink blood: it is the largest carnivorous bat in the Americas and actively hunts birds, rodents and other small vertebrates.
With a wingspan of almost a metre it is the largest bat on the American continent and the largest carnivorous bat in the world.
It forms stable monogamous pairs and the males share food with the female and the young, which is uncommon among bats.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Lowland rainforest of Central and South America, up to about 1,600 m
Birth weight: Born blind and naked, entirely dependent on its mother
Size at birth: Born blind and naked; the mother carries it for the first few weeks
Gestation / incubation: 7 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round in the tropical forests of Central America and northern South America, at night; it roosts in tree hollows, in very small family groups.