Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat vs Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

Sturnira koopmanhilli compared with Glossophaga commissarisi

Key Differences

• Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat is Data Deficient while Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order same	Chiroptera (morcego)	Chiroptera (morcego)
Family same	Phyllostomidae	Phyllostomidae
Genus	Sturnira	Glossophaga
Species	Sturnira koopmanhilli	Glossophaga commissarisi

Evolutionary Relationship

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat and Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat share a common ancestor at the Family level: Phyllostomidae.

Conservation Status

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat

DD — Data Deficient

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat

The Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat (Sturnira koopmanhilli) is a medium-sized frugivorous bat in the family Phyllostomidae, endemic to the Chocó biogeographic region of northwestern South America, where it occurs in the humid forests of the Pacific slope of Colombia and adjacent Ecuador. It belongs to the genus Sturnira — the yellow-shouldered bats — characterised by males bearing distinctive yellowish, orange, or reddish shoulder glands (from which the group's name derives), robust bodies, and rounded ears. Like all Sturnira, this species is primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide range of small, soft fruits from pioneer and forest trees, and plays an important role as a seed disperser in disturbed forest patches and forest edges. The diet of Solanaceae (nightshade family) fruits is particularly typical of the genus, and Sturnira bats are considered the primary dispersers of many pioneer Solanum species in Neotropical secondary succession, contributing directly to forest regeneration. The IUCN classifies the Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat as Data Deficient, reflecting significant uncertainty about the species' distribution limits, population size, and ecological requirements. The Chocó region continues to experience rapid deforestation, which threatens frugivorous bat diversity even where individual species lack adequate data for formal threat assessment.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador