Head of the Mexican Long-tongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana). Photograph credit, Drew Stokes and Cheryl Brehme, NBII.
The Mexican Long-tongued Bats dwell in an assortment of habitats, including palo verde/saguaro desert, semidesert grassland, oak woodland, and tropical deciduous forests (Tuttle, 2003). These bats use caves and mine tunnels in deep canyons as their day roosts. They also have been found in buildings and often are associated with big-eared bats (Plecotus) (Davis and Schmidly 1994). Those Mexican Long-tongued Bats that visit Texas during the summer season most likely migrate to Mexico for warmer winter climates (Tuttle 2003).
An El Paso record of this bat, well outside the seasonal and geographic range expected, was recorded recently (2007).
Davis, W. B. and D.J. Schmidly. 1994. The mammals of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Press, Austin.
Tuttle, M. D. 2003. Texas bats. Bat Conservation International, Inc., Austin.
§ The Mammals of Texas, Online Edition
A. Ruth Huckaby, Graduate Student, BIOL 5301-Natural History of the Chihuahuan Desert, June, 2006.
Huckaby Update: June 2006
Last Update: 22 Jul 2009