18 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 65, Supplement I 
The long snout and long tongue with bristle-like tip distinguishes it from Macrotus californicus, 
and the longer snout and presence of the short but conspicuous tail extension distinguishes it from 
the nearly tailless Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and L. nivalis, the only other leaf-nosed bats found 
in the contiguous United States. The pelage color is various shades of brown on the dorsum and 
lighter on the venter, forearm lengths range 42 to 48 millimeters, and body mass from 10 to 20 
grams (up to 25 grams in gravid females) (Hoffmeister, 1986; Arroyo-Cabrales et al., 1987). Camp¬ 
bell (1934:241) noted that “the hind legs are long, and when the bats hang, they resemble nothing 
so much as plums, hanging by the stems.” 
Distribution and Systematics. — The distribution of Mexican long-tongued bats within the 
U.S. is seasonal and generally overlaps the distribution of columnar cacti and agaves (Scott, 2004). 
They range from extreme southern California, southern Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico 
(Fig. 6) south to Central America (Arroyo-Cabrales et ah, 1987). Rare occurrences have been 
recorded in southern Texas and southern Nevada (Constantine, 1987; Chapman and Chapman, 
1990; Fernandez et ah, 2000; Balin, 2009; Ammerman et ah, 2012a). Records from southern Cal¬ 
ifornia also may be extralimital records (Fleming et ah, 2003); Mexican long-tongued bats seemed 
fairly numerous around San Diego in the 1940s, but this was considered a singular migration or 
dispersal event (Olson, 1947; Huey, 1954a; Barbour and Davis, 1969). However, additional records 
in California from San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County 
occasionally have been recorded in subsequent years through 1995 (Constantine, 1998a). This bat 
was first reported in Arizona in 1904 based on a specimen from the Chiricahua Mountains (Miller, 
1906), but was apparently unknown from New Mexico until 1956 when a specimen was taken in 
Skeleton Canyon, Peloncillo Mountains, Hidalgo County (Findley, 1957). 
This is a New World leaf-nosed bat (Family Phyllostomidae). The species was named by 
Tschudi in 1844, and there have been no further taxonomic changes (Arroyo-Cabrales et ah, 1987). 
There are no recognized subspecies. The name Choeronycteris is derived from two Greek words 
meaning “pig” and “bat”. The specific epithet is based on geography. Other English common 
names used in the literature include long-tongued bat and hog-nosed bat. 
Habitats and Relative Abundance.— Mexican long-tongued bats are migratory, visiting 
the southwestern United States during warm months and migrating to Mexico in winter (Fleming 
et ah, 2003). In the Peloncillo Mountains of New Mexico, this species is present (but at low abun¬ 
dance) from May to October (for example, Mumford and Zimmerman, 1962; Mumford et ah, 1964; 
Scott, 2004). Similar seasonality has been reported in southern Arizona (for example, Hoffmeister, 
1986; Scott, 2004). 
Habitat around roosts of Mexican long-tongued bats observed by Cryan and Bogan (2003, see 
“Roosting Habits” below) in Arizona and New Mexico was Madrean evergreen woodland or semi- 
desert grassland, with roosts occurring within one kilometer of streams and within 0.5 kilometers 
of riparian deciduous vegetation, and with agaves ( Agave schotti or A. palmeri ) present in the vicin¬ 
ity of roosts. Elevations of these roosts averaged 1,477 meters (range 975-1,846). Hoffmeister and 
Goodpaster (1954) found them roosting in habitats ranging from the lower edge of the oak zone up 
through the pine-fir belt in the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona. Hoffmeister (1986) described their 
habitat as mountains in southeastern Arizona that have trees. In New Mexico, the habitats around 
roosts in occupied caves were described as pinon-juniper, oak, and manzanita in the hills and 
sycamore trees in riparian bottoms (Findley et ah, 1975). 
There have been few published surveys of bats in areas within the distribution of Mexican 
long-tongued bats that allow assessment of their relative abundance, although limited data suggest 
relative abundance is low. As examples, two were taken in nets over water in Hidalgo County, New 
Mexico among 108 bats of 10 species (ranking ninth in relative abundance; Mumford et ah, 1964) 
