Honduran White Bat One Of The Cutest And Exotic Animals In The World

The Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba), also known as the Caribbean white tent-making bat, is a species of bat in the Phyllostomatidae family. Ectophylla is the only genus. Both the genus and the species were scientifically described for the first time in 1892. It has a distinct, all-white fur that is only found in six of the roughly 1,300 known bat species. It builds "tents" out of understory plant leaves by strategically cutting the leaf ribs with its teeth; it roosts in these tents during the day. It is a specialist frugivore, consuming almost entirely the fruits of one species of fig. Females are likely to become pregnant twice a year, giving birth to one child at a time.
It can be found at elevations ranging from sea level to 700 meters in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panama (2,300 ft). [1] The IUCN classifies it as near-threatened due to habitat loss. Its bright yellow ears, nose-leaf, and lips are caused by carotenoid deposition; the mechanism of this deposition is being studied in order to better understand and treat macular degeneration in humans.