Gray Sac-winged Bat - Habitat/Behavior

Habitat/Behavior

According to the IUCN, the Balantiopteryx plicata is rated as “least concern” because the species has a wide range and usually resides in protected areas. Little is known about the specific numbers of Balantiopteryx plicata, so a population trend cannot be deduced. It prefers to live near the mouth of caves, in barns and other buildings; usually in areas that are open and lit. The bat is sociable and is usually part of a group of fifty or more. It has also been reported that the colony can include up to 10,000 bats. In the colony, there are approximately 25% females and 75% males. These statistics are variable – another source described how the males were more likely to be a part of the colony at the beginning of the dry season around mating time than it is to be near the rainy season; most of the females stayed in one roost while the males left for other roosts. It also prefers to live in dry areas or arid climates rather than wet climates, so it would more likely to be found in evergreen forests rather than swamps. It is necessary to have at least 25% humidity, and preferable to have multiple exits in the structure of the roost. When they roost, they stay about twenty centimeters apart - except when young are present - and they all face the same way. The bats do not seem to be territorial, and also share roosts with other species of bat. This bat is insectivorous, feeding on any insects that are around for that season and are considered “opportunistic foragers.” This bat population does not seem to wane from season to season as some other bats do, when a certain food is abundant. Foraging takes place in groups or alone. Both roosting and foraging sites change often. The bat forages over open spaces that are usually “several kilometers” away from the living space. Because of their large colonies, they must have a wider range when hunting for food. While the mothers are away hunting, the young bats stay behind and cling to the wall of the cave or structure in which the colony lives.