hey little bat!

Our first night here we saw bats (not sure of the species) flying around at dusk right outside the back of our bungalow, lots of them! And they would fly very near us! What an experience! bats outside Lapa at dusk * * * Some nighttime views from our bungalow's observation deck... Off to bed... * * * At dawn, you could sit out on the observation deck and observe the bats finding their way back home. What an early morning treat! bats outside Lapa at dawn * * * Bosque del Cabo has (that I currently know of): White-Lined Sac-Winged Bats  ( Saccopteryx bilineata / leptura ) in a cave on the Pacific beach (which I learned after our trip) Spix's Disk-Winged Bats  ( Thyroptera tricolor ) - observed in rolled heliconia leaves Jamaican Fruit-Eating Bats  ( Artibeus jamaicensis ) - observed pollinating the Guapinol or Stinky Toe Tree Tent-Making Bats  ( Uroderma bilobatum )  - note: several bat species roost under leaf tents, including the Caribbean o...

Spix's Disk-Winged Bats ( Thyroptera tricolor ) roost upright in rolled Heliconia and banana leaves. You can see the little suction discs on the thumbs and ankles. These lightweight little insectivores use these to cling to the leaves. The other bat species found at Lapa Rios are the Greater Fishing Bat ( Noctilio leporinus ), Thomas' Fruit Eating Bat ( Artibeus watsoni ), and the Greater White-Lined Bat ( Saccopteryx bilineata ), which is seen but uncommon. These pictures were taken on 6/29/08 along the Osa Trail at Lapa Rios. Link to " Costa Rica: Day 11 - Lapa Rios Osa Trail ." Read about the Sucker-Footed Bat ( Myzopoda aurita) that also roosts head up in "Sucker-Footed Bats Don't Use Suction After All" (Science Daily).

The Sucker-Footed Bats, though sometimes referred to as such, are actually Spix's Disk-Winged Bats. Their scientific name is Thyroptera tricolor , Thyroptera meaning "disk" ( thyro ) "wing" ( ptera ). Link to my post on "The Disk-Winged Bats of Lapa Rios."