At a Glance
- For the first time, researchers have discovered the Greater Spear-nosed Bat, Phyllostomus hastatus, inside a hollow Kapok tree within the Lacandona rainforest of Chiapas, Mexico.
- Scientists identified the large-bodied bats by their distinct physical traits, including a well-developed nose leaf for echolocation, a relatively long forearm, and dark brown fur and skin.
- This important sighting officially extends the species’ known northern distribution by about 75 miles from its nearest previously recorded occurrence in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala.
- The research team recommends adding the bat to Mexico’s national list of threatened species, considering this may be the only population of Phyllostomus hastatus within the country.
- Conservation efforts are especially urgent due to extensive deforestation and illegal resource extraction in the Lacandona rainforest, which threatens the bats’ newly confirmed habitat and long-term survival.
For the first time, researchers have documented the Greater Spear-nosed Bat in Mexico, a discovery that adds a new mammal to the country’s fauna and raises urgent questions about its conservation. According to a study in the journal Check List, two adult male bats (Phyllostomus hastatus) were found roosting inside a large Kapok tree along the Lacantún River in the Lacandona rainforest in Chiapas. The finding represents a significant moment for bat ecology in the region.
The researchers identified the species based on a combination of distinct physical traits. These included a well-developed nose leaf, a fleshy, spear-shaped structure on the snout used for echolocation, which is a form of biological sonar that helps bats navigate and hunt in the dark. Other key features included a tail, a forearm length of up to 3 inches, and dark brown fur. As the second-largest bat species in the Neotropics, its “large and well-developed” wings allow it to fly over great distances. This sighting was also the first time the species had been recorded using a Kapok tree for a roost.
This discovery officially extends the known northern distribution limit for the Greater Spear-nosed Bat by about 75 miles, or 120 kilometers. Previously, the northernmost confirmed sighting was in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. The presence of the bats in Chiapas suggests that the species’ range is larger than previously understood and highlights the biological importance of the remaining tracts of well-preserved rainforest that connect Central America and Mexico.
Given that this may be the only known population of the species in the country, the research team is calling for immediate conservation action. The study recommends that the Greater Spear-nosed Bat be added to Mexico’s national list of threatened species. They note that this is especially critical due to extensive deforestation in the Lacandona rainforest caused by human encroachment and illegal resource extraction, which threatens the bats’ newly discovered habitat.
References
- Aranda-Coello, J. M., Hernández-Mijangos, L. A., & Weber, M. (2025). First records of phyllostomus hastatus (Pallas, 1767) (Chiroptera, phyllostomidae), greater spear-nosed bat, in mexico. Check List, 21(4), 652–657. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.4.652
- Liebhaber, L. (2025, July 15). ‘Large’ furry creatures found in Mexico rain forest in first-of-its-kind sighting. Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-large-furry-creatures-mexico-forest.html
