Mammals · Chiroptera · Emballonuridae

Greater Sac-Winged Bat

Saccopteryx bilineata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The greater sac-winged bat roosts in plain view, on the outer face of tree trunks rather than hidden in hollows: it presses itself against the bark in neat groups a few centimetres apart, camouflaged by two wavy white lines running down its back. It is insectivorous and hunts in flight below the canopy. The males have wing sacs that they fill with a mixture of secretions and urine, and with which they perfume the air during displays to females.

Weight

6 g – 11 g

Size

4.5 cm – 5.5 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestInsectivore Nocturnal Colonial Rainforest Mammal

16countries 68parks

Fun facts

The males have a sac in the wing membrane that they refill daily with a mixture of saliva, urine and glandular secretions, and that they fan at females to spread the scent: it is one of the most elaborate systems of chemical courtship known in any mammal.
The pups babble: they produce long, repetitive sequences of syllables while learning the adults' territorial song, a vocal development comparable to human infant babbling and very rare in the animal kingdom.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Trunks of large trees, walls and eaves in rainforest and wooded country of tropical America
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 4 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccopteryx_bilineata