Vampyrum spectrum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vampyrum spectrum (Linnaeus, 1758) View in CoL

Fig. 5 F Spectral bat View Figure 5

Material examined.

Costa Rica • Puntarenas Province, Karen Mogensen Wildlife Refuge ; 09°52'14"N, 085°03'27"W; 296 m alt.; 10.12.2021; mist netting GoogleMaps .

Identification.

Very large bat, the biggest in the New World. The upperparts are dark brown to orange-brown, with a pale white line from shoulders to rump; the fur ventrally is greyish. Nose leaf is whitish and cup-shaped. The ears are large and rounded. The tail is absent and the feet and claws are robust and elongated. Normally roosts in family groups in hollow trees. The spectral bat is a predator that feeds on a wide variety of vertebrates, including marsupials, rodents, and several birds. Rare; recorded on a few occasions in the study area. This is one of the most relevant mammals of the Wildlife Refuge from a conservation perspective, as it is considered near threatened worldwide. A female with enlarged nipples was captured during a mist netting session, testifying to the successful reproduction of this species within the Wildlife Refuge or its surrounding areas ( Reid and Gόmez Zamora 2022; IUCN 2025).