Banana bat  (Musonycteris harrisoni)

The banana bat is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1).

The most distinguishing feature of the banana bat (Musonycteris harrisoni) is its extremely elongated snout, hence its alternative name of 'trumpet-nosed bat’. This medium-sized, highly-specialised bat also possesses a remarkably long tongue, which measures an incredible two-thirds of its body length when fully extended (3). The fur is typically a greyish-brown colour and the hairs have a rather spiny appearance around the face and neck (4). The ears are small and rounded and the tail is short (2).
 

The banana bat has a relatively small distribution, being found only in western Mexico in the states of Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero (3), Jalisco and Morelos (2).

The banana bat is restricted to tropical deciduous and dry forest. This type of habitat is characterised by a rainy season during the months of June through to October and a drier season from November through to May (1) (5) (6).

The banana bat feeds primarily on the nectar of a variety of plants, including native cacti and the introduced banana plant, using its specialised elongated snout to feed from particularly long-tubed flowers (3). It also feeds on insects (3), and bites or pulls off anthers from flowers to feed on the pollen (6). While feeding, some of the pollen may become stuck to the spiny hairs around the bat’s face and neck (4), and is then carried to the next flower the bat feeds from. As a result, the banana bat acts as a pollinator of bananas and other plants (6). The banana bat may undertake short seasonal migrations in order to find flowering plants on which to feed (1).

The banana bat typically roosts in small colonies in trees, under rocky overhangs or in caves. Although studies of reproduction in the banana bat are scarce, it is thought to reproduce once a year during the dry season, between mid-March and mid-April (2).

The main threat facing the banana bat is habitat loss (1). The dry forest habitat of the banana bat is one of the most endangered habitats in Mexico, due to the pressures of an increasing human population (3).

The banana bat is protected by Mexican law and occurs in at least two protected areas, which should hopefully offer its habitat some level of protection (1). As the banana bat appears to be reliant on undisturbed forests that contain its preferred food plants and suitable roost sites, it is important that the remaining dry forests of western Mexico are protected (3) (6).

More about bat conservation:

• Organization for Bat Conservation:
  http://www.batconservation.org/
• Bat Conservation International:
  http://www.batcon.org/