CreatureData

Spectral bat

Vampyrum spectrum (Linnaeus, 1758)

NTNear Threatenedbats

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum) is a species in the family Phyllostomidae, order Chiroptera. Recorded adults weigh 167.7 g to 171.6 g and live up to 4.95 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

Spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum)
Photo: Marco Tschapka · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the spectral bat

Weight
167.7 g – 171.6 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Wingspan
70 cm – 1 msrc for Wingspan
Lifespan
4.95 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
6.5 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
1src for Young per litter or clutch
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

How big is the spectral bat?

SPECTRAL BAT · WINGSPAN 1 MADULT HUMAN · HEIGHT 1.7 M
At 1 m, the recorded maximum wingspan of the spectral bat is about 59% of the height of an adult human (1.7 m, a fixed reference used for scale).

Where does the spectral bat live?

Not recorded

What is the spectral bat?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum), also called the great false vampire bat, great spectral bat, American false vampire bat or Linnaeus's false vampire bat, is a large, carnivorous leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is the only member of the genus Vampyrum; its closest living relative is the big-eared woolly bat. It is the largest bat species in the New World, as well as the largest carnivorous bat: its wingspan is 0.7–1.0 m (2.3–3.3 ft). It has a robust skull and teeth, with which it delivers a powerful bite to kill its prey. Birds are frequent prey items, though it may also consume rodents, insects, and other bats.

Unlike the majority of bat species, it is monogamous. Colonies consist of an adult male and female and their offspring. The adult male will bring food back to the roost to provision the adult female and their offspring. Colonies generally roost in tree hollows, though individuals may roost in caves. Due to habitat destruction and its low population density, it is listed as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Contrary to its Latin name, the spectral bat does not feed on blood. This activity has been observed in Vampire bats (Desmodontinae).

From the Wikipedia article “Spectral bat” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spectral_bat&oldid=1376627675), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the spectral bat endangered?

The spectral bat is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.

How is the spectral bat classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderChiroptera
  5. familyPhyllostomidae
  6. genusVampyrum
  7. SpeciesVampyrum spectrum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms Vespertilio spectrum

Other names and names in other languages (36)
  • False batEnglish
  • False vampire batEnglish
  • Great spectral batEnglish
  • Linnaeus’s false vampire batEnglish
  • Spectral vampireEnglish
  • Голям плодояден вампирBulgarian
  • listonos nosatýCzech
  • Große SpießblattnaseGerman
  • VampiroEsperanto
  • MuleroSpanish
  • Falso vampiroSpanish
  • falso vampiro de LinneoSpanish
  • Faso vampiro giganteSpanish
  • Vampiir (loom)Estonian
  • isopetoleikkoFinnish
  • Faux-Vampire spectreFrench
  • Chauve-souris javelotFrench
  • Chauve-souris spectraleFrench
  • Chauve-souris spectreFrench
  • Faux-vampire de LinnéFrench
  • Vampiro spettroItalian
  • Falso vampiro americanoItalian
  • チスイコウモリモドキJapanese
  • ვამპირი (ცხოველი)Georgian
  • Stor SpydneseNorwegian Bokmål
  • VampiervleermuisDutch
  • Liścionos wielkiPolish
  • Widmowiec wielkiPolish
  • Morcego-EspectralPortuguese
  • Ложный вампирRussian
  • Большой листоносRussian
  • Гигантский лжевампирRussian
  • Linnéjev nosorožecSlovenian
  • Stor spjutnäsaSwedish
  • Amerika yalancı vampir yarasasıTurkish
  • 美洲假吸血蝠Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the spectral bat

Other species in the same family Phyllostomidae.

CompareSpectral bat vs Common vampire batSpectral bat vs Honduran white batSpectral bat vs Big-eared woolly batSpectral bat vs Jamaican fruit bat

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the spectral bat?

An adult spectral bat weighs 167.7 g – 171.6 g and has a wingspan of 70 cm – 1 m, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the spectral bat endangered?

The spectral bat is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

How long does the spectral bat live?

The spectral bat has a recorded lifespan of 4.95 years.

What kind of animal is the spectral bat?

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum) belongs to the family Phyllostomidae in the order Chiroptera.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

Embed a card for this animal on your own site

Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.

Preview the card

APA

CreatureData. (2026). Spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/spectral-bat

MLA

“Spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/spectral-bat.

BibTeX
@misc{spectral_bat_2026,
  title = {Spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/spectral-bat},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}