Tube-lipped nectar bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tube-lipped nectar bat. |
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| Conservation status | |
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Anoura
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| Species: |
fistulata
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The tube-lipped nectar bat (Anoura fistulata) is a special type of bat that lives in Ecuador, a country in South America. It was first discovered and named in 2005. This amazing bat has a super long tongue, which it uses to drink sweet nectar from flowers. It also eats pollen and small insects.
What's in a Name?
This unique bat was officially described in 2005. Its scientific name, fistulata, comes from a Latin word, fistula, which means "tube". This name was chosen because of the bat's lower lip. It sticks out a little bit (about 3.3 to 4.8 millimeters) past its upper lip and is shaped like a small funnel or tube. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what this tube-shaped lip is for!
Amazing Tongue and Body
The tube-lipped nectar bat holds a world record! It has the longest tongue compared to its body size of any mammal. Imagine a tongue that is 8.5 centimeters long! That's like a tongue that is one and a half times longer than its entire body!
How does it fit such a long tongue inside its body? Well, just like pangolins and the giant anteater, this bat's tongue is special. It's not fully attached to its hyoid bones (bones in the neck). Instead, it goes deep into its chest, resting between its sternum (breastbone) and its windpipe. This allows the bat to extend its tongue incredibly far to reach nectar deep inside flowers.
Diet and Habitat
Even with its super long tongue, the tube-lipped nectar bat eats a mix of foods. Its main diet includes sweet nectar from flowers, pollen, and tiny insects. This varied diet is possible because the bat has a short jaw, which helps it manage its long tongue.
One special plant, called Centropogon nigricans, has very long, tube-shaped flowers (about 80 to 90 millimeters long). This bat is the only animal that can pollinate these flowers. It means the bat helps the plant make seeds by carrying pollen from one flower to another. It's a perfect match between the bat's long tongue and the flower's deep shape!
See also
Images for kids
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This map shows where the tube-lipped nectar bat lives in Ecuador.
