Awww how cute!
Bats are not usually described as cute and cuddly but these bats are quite different.
The Honduran white bat also known as the Caribbean White Tent-Making bat or called Cotton Ball bat, is a species that is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western parts of Panama.
These bats are tiny!
These fruit-eating bats are only 4-5 cm long and weigh 5-6 grams, have completely white fur, yellow leaf-shaped nose and ears and a black membrane on their wings making them very distinctive.
They get their name as Tent-Making bats because they do! The unique behavior of these bats is their skill to build tents out of Heliconia plant leaves by using their teeth to first cutting the side veins of the plant, which causes the leaves to collapse inward, which creates a tent to keep them hidden, and keep them protected from rain, hot sun and predators. They roost in their ‘tents’ during daylight so up to 15 bats can shelter and sleep there.
You’d think that their white fur would make them very easy to be seen, but it is just the opposite. As sunlight filters through the green leaves of a white bat roost, the whitish fur coat of the bat appears green, which makes them virtually disappear if it remains still!
Favorite food: Fruit. Figs in particular.
Top speed:Â 20 mph (15 kph)
Babies: The litter size is usually just one bat, called a pup. The pups can fly at around 3-4 weeks of age!
Conservation status:Â Near threatened because of habitat loss.
