Bulldog Bat

By: Sam Bundy

This animal pictured here is called the Bulldog Bat. The bulldog bat is also called “Noctilio” or the “fishing bat” because they like to eat fish. The bulldog bat is part of the bat family, and is one of the largest in the world. It is also one of the most distinctive because of its unique face, resembling a bulldog. The Bulldog Bat lives in many warm tropical areas such as Central America, South America, and Mexico, with a lifespan of about 11 years.

Britannica studied the Bulldog Bat and came back with research that said, “The lesser bulldog bat (Noctilio albiventris, formerly N. labialis) is about 9 cm (3.5 inches) long with a wingspan of 40–44 cm (15.7–17.3 inches). The greater bulldog, or fisherman, bat (N. leporinus) is considerably larger, with a length of 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 inches) and a wingspan of up to 70 cm (27.5 inches).”

With this information, they concluded that the Bulldog Bat is one of the largest species of bat in the whole world. A Bulldog Bat likes to live in warm, wet areas. They thrive in estuaries.

There are more bats in South America than anywhere else in the world. According to Bats Magazine, bats are featured in many Pre-Columbian art works and a frequent inclusion in Native American folklore. A legend in Argentina says that the leader of the first people there was a “bat-man” who taught humans how the skills to survive. In Brazil there is a legend of a bat leading a tribe of people as they traveled through the night.

At one time, a Bulldog Bat usually lives with a small herd of just 5-15 other bats . According to the Wikipedia entry on Bulldog Bats, they are one of only a few bat species that eat fish. The bulldog bat hunts for fish by dragging its claws across the surface of the water when fish are jumping, or by using echolocation to locate fish during high tide.

The Bulldog Bat is not in danger, but is threatened by water pollution and other environmental factors like deforestation and man made habitat loss. With its primal instincts as a predator, the bulldog bat eats about 30-40 fish a night. The bats themselves become the prey of hawks and owls, which regularly kill bats.

In conclusion, Bulldog Bats thrive in, and play an important role as both predator and prey in the estuaries of South America.