Mammals · Chiroptera · Phyllostomidae

Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus jamaicensis

Least Concern

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

The Jamaican fruit-eating bat is a fruit-eating bat native to Central and South America. Its distinguishing features include the absence of an external tail and a short, U-shaped interfemoral membrane. The fur is greyish brown, has a faint soapy smell and is slightly paler on the underside. The ears are somewhat more pointed than in related bats. It measures around 9 cm long. It lives in rainforest, deciduous woodland and scrub forest. It roosts in hollow trunks, caves and tree foliage, but has also been found in tents built from the leaves of aroids and palms.

Weight

40 g – 50 g

Size

7 cm – 9 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestIslandsHerbivore Nocturnal Colonial Rainforest Islands Mammal

17countries 17parks5same family

Fun facts

The males build tents: they bite through the ribs of large palm or heliconia leaves until they fold over into a little roof, under which a small group of females shelters.
It is one of the great regenerators of the tropical forest: by carrying figs to perches far from the parent tree it sows seeds precisely in the clearings where they can germinate.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rainforest, dry forest, plantations and gardens of tropical America and the West Indies
Sexual maturity: 9.5 months
Gestation / incubation: 2.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

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