Roosting Bats
(Image credit: © Manuel Sánchez )
Spix's disc-winged bats roost in an unfurling leaf in the rainforest of Costa Rica.
Bat Teeth
(Image credit: © Sébastien Puechmaille )
Spix's disc-winged bats form groups of five or six, staying together for years despite their itinerate lifestyles.
Spix's Disc-Winged Bat
(Image credit: © Sébastien Puechmaille )
A new study of Spix's disc-winged bats finds that their tubular roosts also serve as hearing aids, amplifying the cries of flying bats so those in the roost can hear them better.
Bat Exits a Roost
(Image credit: © Gloriana Chaverri )
A Spix's disc-winged bat takes flight from its roost.
Spix's Disc-Winged Bat in Flight
(Image credit: © Michael Buchalski )
This Spix's disc-winged bat will find another roost after a night of hunting.
Bat in Flight
(Image credit: © Gloriana Chaverri )
Disc-winged bats are named for the suction-cup like structures on their wings and feet, which allow them to cling to the smooth surfaces of their leaf roosts.