Tent-making Bats

Tent-making bats are relatively common in Costa Rica, and there are 15 species here.  Once you know what you are looking for, the bent leaves stand out like beacons in the rainforest where these animals are roosting. The bats roost underneath several of the broad leafed plant species, and seem to favour fan palms and heliconia leaves. They chew the across the underside of the leaves to cause them to hang down at the sides in order to create a protective canopy. A group of these bats will contain a single male and a harem of females. These intriguing little bats are frugivores, and feed on a variety of rainforest fruits.  

These bats are roosting only metres from our front door.  This is possibly Uroderma  sp. , however many of the tent-makers in Costa Rica look superficially alike. 

These two are cooperating for the camera, however, it is difficult to sneak under the tent without  scaring them away. They have large eyes and relatively good eyesight.