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Animal profile

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Saccopteryx bilineata

MammaliaButtressed tree trunks, building walls and hollow trunks in lowland tropical forest, roosting on lit vertical surfacesLeast Concern

Field profile

The greater sac-winged bat is a small sheath-tailed bat with two wavy white stripes down its dark back and a scent sac in each wing membrane. It roosts in loose vertical arrays on tree buttresses rather than crammed into crevices, and males defend small harem territories. Its vocal repertoire is among the richest documented in bats.

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

2023-01-03

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Sac-winged bat pups babble before they sing

Young greater sac-winged bats produce long strings of repeated, rhythmic syllables that carry no message. The sequences resemble human infant babbling closely enough that researchers apply the same eight defining criteria, and they precede adult song.

Read with evidence →

Greater Sac-winged Bat | Daily Animal Facts