Lesser Long-tailed Bat

The Lesser Long-tailed Bat is a small nectar-feeding phyllostomid bat found across the tropical lowlands of northern South America and Trinidad. It is notable for its elongated muzzle and long, extensible tongue adapted for feeding on flower nectar. As a specialized pollinator, it plays an important ecological role in maintaining forest plant diversity. Despite its wide range, it remains poorly studied compared to other nectar bats.

Northern and central South America, including Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador

Distributed from Trinidad and the Guianas through Venezuela and Colombia, south through Amazonian Brazil to Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador; generally restricted to tropical lowland and lower montane forest zones.

Altitude and depth

Typically found from sea level up to about 1,500 meters elevation.

Seasonal movements

No long-distance migration is known; activity levels may fluctuate seasonally in response to flowering and fruiting cycles of food plants.

Primarily found in lowland tropical rainforest, gallery forest, and secondary forest edges; also recorded in cultivated areas near forest margins where flowering plants are abundant.

Adaptations to its environment

Possesses an elongated rostrum and a long, brush-tipped tongue for extracting nectar from tubular flowers, along with reduced dentition suited to a liquid-based diet. Its small body size and maneuverable flight allow it to hover and access flowers in dense forest understory.

Listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN due to its wide geographic distribution, presumed large population, and lack of evidence for significant widespread decline.

Estimated population

No precise population estimate exists; the species is considered common within suitable habitat and the overall population trend is presumed stable.

Localized threats include deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and conversion of forest to agriculture, which reduce availability of nectar-producing plants and roosting sites.

Diseases and parasites

Specific pathogens are not well documented, though like other bats it may host ectoparasites such as mites and bat flies, and could be a reservoir for certain viruses common to Neotropical bats.

No species-specific conservation programs exist; the bat benefits indirectly from protected areas and national parks within its range that preserve tropical forest habitat.

Recommended actions

Continued monitoring of population trends, protection of lowland forest habitats, and further ecological research to better understand roosting requirements and pollination networks.

Small bat with brownish-gray dorsal fur and paler underparts, an elongated snout, and a long tongue used for nectar feeding. The tail is short and often reduced or barely visible externally.

Size

Head-body length approximately 5-6 cm, with a short tail; forearm length around 32-37 mm.

Weight

Approximately 8-11 grams.

Distinctive features

Distinguished from related glossophagine bats by its notably elongated rostrum, small ears, and minimal or vestigial tail, as well as specific dental and skull characteristics used in taxonomic identification.

Differences between males and females

Minimal sexual dimorphism; males and females are similar in size and coloration.

Generally roosts in small groups, though solitary individuals are also recorded; roosting sites include hollow trees, caves, and dense foliage.

When it is active

Nocturnal, active primarily after dusk, foraging on flowering plants during the night.

Diet

Primarily feeds on nectar and pollen from a variety of night-blooming plants; opportunistically consumes some fruit and insects as supplementary food sources.

How it feeds and hunts

Uses hovering flight and its long tongue to extract nectar from flowers, often visiting multiple flowering plants in a single foraging bout, contributing to pollination.

Communication

Communicates primarily through echolocation calls for navigation and possibly for locating flowering resources; social vocalizations within roosts are not well documented.

Interactions with other species

Acts as a pollinator for various tropical plants with tubular flowers; potential predators include owls and other nocturnal raptors, as well as opportunistic snakes at roost sites.

Role in its ecosystem

Serves as an important pollinator within tropical forest ecosystems, facilitating gene flow in various plant species adapted to bat pollination (chiropterophily).

Breeding appears to occur with some seasonality tied to flowering peaks; gestation length is not well documented but is presumed similar to related phyllostomids (60-120 days), typically producing a single offspring per litter.

Raising the young

Females carry and nurse a single pup, which clings to the mother during early development until capable of independent flight and foraging.

Maturity and lifespan

Sexual maturity is likely reached within the first year of life; lifespan in the wild is estimated at several years, though exact data are limited.

Classification

Class Mammalia > Order Chiroptera > Family Phyllostomidae > Genus Choeroniscus > Species Choeroniscus minor

Subspecies

Several subspecies have been proposed (e.g., C. m. minor, C. m. trinitatis, C. m. inca) though their validity is debated; they correspond to different regional populations across the species' range.

Scientific synonyms

Formerly placed in genus Choeronycteris; also referred to under the synonym Glossophaga minor in older literature.

Recent studies

Recent taxonomic and phylogenetic studies have refined understanding of Choeroniscus species boundaries and their evolutionary relationships within nectar-feeding bats.

Genome and DNA

Specific genomic studies are limited, though molecular phylogenetic analyses have been used to clarify its placement within the Glossophaginae subfamily.

Compared with similar species

Similar to other Choeroniscus species such as C. godmani but distinguished by cranial and dental measurements; also comparable in ecology to other glossophagine nectar bats like Glossophaga species, though with a more specialized elongated rostrum.

This bat has one of the most elongated snouts relative to body size among Neotropical bats, allowing it to reach deep into tubular flowers. It plays a crucial, though often overlooked, role in pollinating night-blooming plants across South America.

Where and how to see it

Best observed at dusk near flowering trees or shrubs in lowland tropical forest, using a flashlight or bat detector to spot foraging individuals; areas with abundant Bombacaceae or Marcgraviaceae flowers are promising sites.

Risks to humans

No notable risk to humans; the species does not pose disease transmission concerns beyond general precautions applicable to handling any wild bat.