{"id":247507,"date":"2026-02-06T18:12:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fauna\/greater-sac-winged-bat\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T18:25:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T23:25:04","slug":"greater-sac-winged-bat","status":"publish","type":"fauna","link":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/fauna\/greater-sac-winged-bat\/","title":{"rendered":"Greater Sac-winged Bat"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saccopteryx bilineata<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":247490,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":""},"collection":[],"country":[11],"fauna-group":[27502],"fauna-type":[27216],"star-rating":[],"class_list":["post-247507","fauna","type-fauna","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","country-colombia","fauna-group-bats","fauna-type-mammals"],"acf":{"scientific_name":"Saccopteryx bilineata","animal_description":"The Greater Sac-winged Bat (*Saccopteryx bilineata*) is a remarkable Neotropical species easily identified by the two distinct, wavy white stripes running down its dark, charcoal-colored back. What truly distinguishes this bat is the presence of specialized glandular pouches, or \"sacs,\" located on its wings near the elbows, which males use to perform elaborate \"salting\" displays by wafting a fermented cocktail of secretions toward females during courtship. Beyond their unique chemistry, these bats are celebrated for their extraordinary vocal complexity; they are one of the few non-human mammals known to engage in vocal \"babbling\" as infants, a sophisticated trait they use to learn the intricate songs required for adult social communication. This combination of visual flair, olfactory signaling, and rare linguistic-like development makes the Greater Sac-winged Bat a standout marvel of the nocturnal world.","animal_habitat":"This species maintains an extensive geographical range throughout the Neotropics, stretching from southern Mexico across Central America and deep into South America. Its distribution encompasses the Amazon Basin, reaching as far south as central Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and Peru, and it is also established on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.\n\nPrimarily inhabiting lowland rainforests and deciduous woodlands, it is frequently found in areas near water sources like rivers and streams. Unlike many other bat species, it prefers roosting in relatively well-lit environments. Typical roosting sites include the vertical surfaces of large tree buttresses, the interiors of hollow trees, and occasionally the shaded exterior walls of man-made structures.","animal_behavior_and_reproduction":"This species maintains a polygynous social structure where territorial males defend roosting sites, such as tree buttresses, which are shared by a harem of up to eight females. A defining feature of their courtship is the use of specialized wing sacs; males fill these with a cocktail of bodily secretions to create a distinct scent. During daily displays, the male hovers in front of females and vigorously shakes his wings to \"salt\" them with this pheromone-rich perfume. This behavior is paired with complex, song-like vocalizations used to defend territory and reinforce social bonds within the colony.\n\nReproduction is characterized by female choice and high rates of extra-harem mating, as females often seek genetic variety from males in neighboring territories. Following a gestation period of about four months, a single offspring is born. These pups exhibit a rare mammalian behavior known as vocal babbling, where they practice and mimic the intricate songs of adult males during their development. This vocal learning is critical for young males to eventually establish their own harems and successfully compete for mates in the future.","diet":"The Greater Sac-winged Bat is an insectivorous specialist that primarily employs aerial hawking to capture a diverse range of flying prey, including beetles, moths, flies, and small wasps. Foraging typically occurs along forest edges, over streams, or in clearings where the bats utilize high-frequency echolocation to navigate and pinpoint insects in mid-air. An intriguing aspect of their feeding behavior is their strong territoriality; individuals often maintain and defend specific foraging beats, returning to the same locations night after night to hunt. Furthermore, these bats are known to be crepuscular hunters, frequently emerging before sunset to capitalize on the early evening pulse of insect activity, a strategy that maximizes their energy intake before the full darkness of night.","colors":"The Greater Sac-winged Bat features dark brown to blackish fur marked by two prominent, wavy white stripes running longitudinally down its back. These pale lines provide disruptive camouflage, breaking up the bat's silhouette against the textured bark of its preferred tree-trunk roosts. Its underside is generally a lighter grey or charcoal, aiding in concealment within shadowed environments.","fun_facts":"Males of this species are famous for the \"perfume\" pouches located on their wings, where they mix a cocktail of urine and glandular secretions to create a unique scent used to attract mates. During courtship, a male will hover in front of a female and vigorously shake his wings to waft this pungent aroma toward her, a behavior known as \"salting.\" Beyond their chemical displays, these bats are remarkable vocalists; they are one of the few non-human mammals where pups engage in \"babbling,\" much like human infants, as they practice and mimic the complex songs of adults to learn their intricate social language.","conservation_status_&_efforts":"The Greater Sac-winged Bat is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend that remains generally stable across its extensive range from Mexico through South America. Despite its widespread distribution and adaptability to some degree of habitat modification, the species faces threats from significant deforestation and forest fragmentation. These activities reduce the availability of its preferred roosting sites, such as large buttress trees and hollow logs, and can disrupt the complex social colonies that are central to its reproductive success.\n\nConservation efforts for this species primarily involve the protection of its natural tropical forest habitats through the establishment of national parks and biological reserves. While there are few conservation programs specifically targeted at this bat, it benefits from broader regional initiatives aimed at preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological corridors. Ongoing research and monitoring, particularly in Central American field stations, play a crucial role in understanding the impact of environmental changes on their social structures, which helps inform long-term management strategies for protecting Neotropical bat populations.","endemic":false,"migratory":false,"nocturnal":true,"conservation_status":"Least Concern","ebird_link":{"url":"https:\/\/ebird.org\/media\/catalog?taxonCode=greswb1","title":"View on Ebird","target":"_blank"},"animal_related_page":{"url":"https:\/\/animalia.bio\/greater-sac-winged-bat","title":"View on Animalia","target":"_blank"},"fauna_family":"Emballonuridae","fauna_known_nicknames":"Greater Sac-winged Bat, Two-lined Bat","fauna_average_length":"6.5\u20138.0 cm \/ 2.6\u20133.1 in","fauna_average_weight":"7\u20139 g \/ 0.25\u20130.32 oz","fauna_wingspan":"35\u201345 cm \/ 13.8\u201317.7 in","fauna_key_physical_feature":"Two white longitudinal wavy stripes on the back and glandular wing sacs in males","fauna_primary_diet":"Insectivore","fauna_geographical_range":"Southern Mexico through Central America to Brazil, Bolivia, and Trinidad","fauna_preferred_habitat":"Lowland tropical rainforests and deciduous forests","fauna_social_structure":"Harem-based (one territorial male with multiple females)","fauna_breeding_site":"Vertical surfaces like tree trunks, buttress roots, or cave entrances","fauna_conservation_status":"Least Concern (LC)","fauna_population_trend":"Stable","fauna_spanish_name":"Murci\u00e9lago de l\u00edneas blancas","fauna_french_name":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna\/247507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fauna"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/247490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collection?post=247507"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=247507"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-group?post=247507"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-type?post=247507"},{"taxonomy":"star-rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/star-rating?post=247507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}