Climbing Flat-bean vs Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

Dalbergia obovata compared with Glossophaga commissarisi

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Climbing Flat-bean	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family	Fabaceae	Phyllostomidae
Genus	Dalbergia	Glossophaga
Species	Dalbergia obovata	Glossophaga commissarisi

Conservation Status

Climbing Flat-bean

LC — Least Concern

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Climbing Flat-bean	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Climbing Flat-bean

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Climbing Flat-bean

Climbing Flat Bean, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis, commonly known as the Yard-long Bean or Asparagus Bean, is a vigorous climbing legume in the family Fabaceae widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical Asia for its extraordinarily long, edible pods. The pods, reaching up to 60–100 cm in length, are harvested when young and tender and are used extensively in Chinese, Southeast Asian, and South Asian cuisine. The species climbs trellises and poles using tendril-like, twining stems, producing purplish-white flowers that develop into the characteristic pendulous, slender bean pods. Like other Vigna species, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria in root nodules, improving soil fertility. Climbing Flat Bean is a warm-season crop requiring full sun, high temperatures, and adequate moisture, making it well suited to humid tropical and monsoon climates. It is an important food crop providing protein and vitamins for rural communities across Asia and is cultivated as a commercial vegetable in many tropical countries. The species is also grown in tropical America and Africa. Being a domesticated cultivar complex, its conservation status is not formally assessed in terms of wild populations, though the preservation of genetic diversity in cultivated landraces is an agricultural priority.

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

<em>Glossophaga commissarisi</em>, commonly known as Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat, is a small nectarivorous bat in the family Phyllostomidae. This species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is native to the Neotropical region, with populations recorded in Colombia and Ecuador, among other countries in Central and South America. As its name suggests, Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat is highly specialized for nectar feeding, possessing an elongated tongue and snout adapted for reaching deep into flowers. In doing so, it serves as an important pollinator for a variety of tropical plants, particularly those with tubular flowers that bloom at night. This bat typically inhabits tropical and subtropical forests, including humid lowland and montane forests, where flowering plants are abundant throughout the year. It often roosts in small groups within caves, hollow trees, or dense foliage. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.