Greater Bulldog Bat - Distribution and Variation

Distribution and Variation

The greater bulldog bat's range streches from Mexico to northern Argentina and also includes most Caribbean islands. While vast, its range is also patchy as the bat is limited to mostly well-watered lowland and coastal areas also well as river basins. There is geographical variation in the species and are classified as subspecies. Bats around the Caribbean Basin are large and usually have the pale mid-dorsal stripe, despite varying in pelage. These bats are known as N. l. mastivus. In Guianas and the Amazon Basin, the bats are small and dark and often lack the pale mid-dorsal stripe. These bats are known as N. l. leporinus. In eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and northern Argentina bats tend to be large and pale, more so than the other subspecies. They are known as N. l. rufescens.