Reproduction Facts About the Mexican Long-Nosed Bat

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Background

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  Mexican long-nosed bats are distinguished by their elongate muzzles, nose leaves and relatively large size. They may weigh over 20 grams.

Mating

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  The bats mate from October to December. A mating cave has been identified in Central Mexico.

Birth

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  Female long-nosed bats typically bear a single pup, although two are possible. The furred offspring, born in Mexico, begin to wean after approximately one month and take flight within five weeks. Come summer, they accompany their mothers northward, some crossing the border into the U.S.

Migration

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  The yearly movements of the Mexican long-nosed bat are tied to the staggered blooming of the agaves, cactus and other flowering plants they pollinate. Their arrival in Texas, for example, harmonizes with the peak of the century plant's summer bloom. As blossoms decline in their northern range, they turn south again, eventually wintering in central Mexico.

Conservation

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  Each of those pups born prior to northward migration is precious. The Mexican long-nosed bat is classified as endangered in the U.S. and threatened in Mexico--threatened with habitat loss and other factors. Its long migration corridor and reliance on suitable roost sites--caves, mines and other cavities--make it particularly vulnerable.