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Animal profile

Greater Bulldog Bat

Noctilio leporinus

MammaliaCoastal lagoons, mangroves, rivers and lakes in tropical lowlands; roosts in hollow trees and sea cavesLeast Concern

Field profile

The greater bulldog bat, or fisherman bat, is a large tropical bat with outsized hind feet and sharply recurved claws. It hunts small fish and insects over open water, gaffing prey from the surface in flight. Cheek pouches let it store a catch and eat while still airborne.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-12-05

Greater Bulldog Bat

The fisherman bat hears ripples, not fish

Water reflects sonar like a mirror, so a submerged fish is acoustically invisible. The greater bulldog bat solves this by reading the small disturbances a fish makes at the surface, then raking the water with its claws where the ripple was.

Read with evidence →

Greater Bulldog Bat | Daily Animal Facts