You may just have done something of a double take. Yet these small creatures huddled together are indeed bats. They are Honduran White Bats (
Ectophylla alba) and they do not easily fall in to a number of bat stereotypes: they do
not live in caves and they do
not suck blood. Additionally their fur, as you can see, is snow white.
It is found only in a few Central American countries. If you are very, very lucky you might be able to find it in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and, of course, the country from which it gets its name, Honduras.
Yet it is extremely rare and, moreover, it is tiny – the largest examined have never exceeded 5cm in length. Not only that, but its white fur has evolved for a reason: camouflage. (Note: the above was caught by using mist nets in Costa Rica and was later released).
