Bullfrog Bats

From Piotr Naskrecki

The bulldog bat family (Noctilionidae) contains only two extant species, both found in large portions of Central and South America.

Looking at their droopy jowls, which are formed by the cheek pouches that allow them to store their prey, it is easy to understand where their common name comes from.

Known also as fishing bats, these remarkable mammals produce extremely loud echolocation calls that can reach 140 dB, a sound intensity comparable to that of a jet taking off (luckily, our ears are unable to perceive their ultrasonic calls.) This allows them to detect the faintest ripples on the water surface made by fish and, using their long toes, they are able to scoop the fish and transfer it to the cheek pouches.

The greater bulldog bat, Noctilio leporinus, is almost exclusively piscivorous, while its slightly smaller cousin, the lesser bulldog bat, N. albiventris, prefers to collect insects from the surface of the water and its toes are not as elongated as those of N. albiventris.

Incidentally, I recently discovered that lesser bulldog bats have a very strong, surprisingly pleasant smell, quite unlike that of their fish-feeding cousins