Mammals · Chiroptera · Phyllostomidae

Lesser Long-nosed Bat

Leptonycteris yerbabuenae

Near Threatened

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

The lesser long-nosed bat is the principal pollinator of agaves and columnar cacti in northern Mexico and the south-western United States. Each year it migrates along a flowering corridor more than a thousand kilometres long, from central Mexico to Arizona and New Mexico, breeding along the way in maternity caves that hold tens of thousands of females. Without it, the sexual reproduction of wild agaves and of the saguaro would be seriously compromised.

Weight

18 g – 30 g

Size

7 cm – 9 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Nectarivore

Feeds mainly on flower nectar.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Temperate forestDesertNectarivore Nocturnal Colonial Near Threatened Temperate forest Desert Mammal

5countries 12parks5same family

Fun facts

Without this bat there would be no wild tequila: it is the main pollinator of blue agave and other agaves, though the commercial crop is propagated from offsets and does not depend on it.
It was one of the first species removed from the United States endangered species list on grounds of recovery, in 2018, after decades of protection of its maternity caves on both sides of the border.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Thorn scrub, deserts with agaves and columnar cacti, and dry forest of Mexico and the south-western United States
Gestation / incubation: 5.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

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