Greater Bulldog Bat - Ecology and Behavior

Ecology and Behavior

The greater bulldog bat lives primarily in tropical lowlands. The bats are commonly found over ponds and streams as well as estuaries and coastal lagoons. They live in colonies that number in the hundreds. In Trinidad, bulldog bats roost in hollow trees like silk-cotton, red mangrove and balatá. The bats live in hollow tree roosts in other areas as well. They also roost in deep sea caves. Like most bats, bulldog bats are nocturnal.

Female bulldog bats stay together in groups while roosting and tend to be accompanied by a resident male. Females associate with the same individuals in the same location for several years unaffected by changes in resident males and movements of the group to different roosts. A male may stay with a female group for two or more reproductive seasons. Bachelor males are segregated from the females and may roost alone or together in small groups. Female bats forage either alone or with their roost mates, with stable female groups continue to forage in the same areas in the long term. Males forage alone and use areas that are larger and separate from those used by the females.