by Manfredo Turcios-Casco, José Napoleón Morazán, and Claudia Novelo Alpuche
A recent biological survey conducted in the Warunta Anthropological Reserve confirmed the presence of Ectophylla alba, also known as the Honduran white bat. This is one of the most distinctive bat species in Mesoamerica, recognizable by its velvety white fur and unique habit of constructing shelters from the leaves of tropical plants such as Heliconia. It is a true ecological and evolutionary rarity.
Photos by Manfredo Turcios-Casco
Honduras marks the northernmost limit of the species' known range, making Warunta a key site for its study and conservation. The “tents” it builds during the day—by folding leaves with surgical precision—are a remarkable example of its highly specialized behavior. To build them, the bat requires specific environmental conditions and the presence of certain plant species, like heliconias. The availability of these resources could determine its continued presence in the area, highlighting the importance of protecting its habitat, especially in regions where these elements are diminishing due to forest cover loss.
Warunta, in Honduras, is key to conserving the white bat, which depends on plants like heliconias to build its shelters.
During the same expedition, the research team obtained preliminary recordings of what may be an undocumented emballonurid bat species in the country. This finding was made through acoustic recordings, a technique increasingly used in Honduras that allows for the detection of species difficult to identify through traditional methods. Although taxonomic analysis is still ongoing, this potential new record underscores the biological value of La Moskitia as an underexplored region and demonstrates how new monitoring tools can help reveal previously unknown species.
“These discoveries expand the map of national biodiversity and raise new questions about ecological connectivity in the tropical forests of northeastern Honduras,” explained a member of the WCS Honduras technical team.
Beyond their rarity, bats are essential to the functioning of tropical ecosystems: they contribute to forest regeneration as seed dispersers, support the pollination of many plant species, and help with the natural control of insect populations.
The monitoring work was carried out by WCS Honduras in collaboration with the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), the National Autonomous University of Honduras – Valle de Sula (UNAH-VS), the research group The Big Bat Theory, with support from the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), the Fund for Protected Areas and Wildlife Management (FAPVS), and community leaders, as part of a science-based intercultural conservation strategy. This initiative seeks to support the designation of Warunta as a priority area for both biological and cultural conservation in La Moskitia.
WCS is also actively supporting Miskito communities in their efforts to protect these community-owned forests, which face increasing threats from deforestation driven by the expansion of often illegal cattle ranches.
The region continues to reveal its secrets, and each new discovery reinforces the urgency of protecting these forests that still harbor unique species and irreplaceable ecological functions.