Jamaican fig-eating bat

The Jamaican fig-eating bat, Ariteus flavescens, is a small leaf-nosed bat of the family Phyllostomidae and the only living species in its genus. Its scientific name translates as yellowish and warlike. Adults measure 5 to 7 centimeters in total length, and females are noticeably larger than males, averaging 13 grams against 11 grams. The fur is reddish brown, fading paler on the underside, with a white patch on each shoulder, and the short broad wings and lack of a visible tail suit flying through forest. A large nose-leaf with a distinctive twist separates it from every other bat. The species is found only on Jamaica, in primary and secondary forest and also in banana and coconut plantations and farmland, which supports its status as Least Concern. It is nocturnal and omnivorous, eating fruit such as naseberry and rose apple as well as insects, and its molars are shaped for shearing fruit. Fossils show it has lived on the island since the late Pleistocene.