Bat Diversity in Zoos

I've seen 10 species of bat in captivity.

1. Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) - Sacramento Reptile Show
   
2. Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) - Oregon Zoo
   
3. Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
4. Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) - Cameron Park Zoo
   
5. Large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) - Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park & Oakland Zoo
   
6. Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) - Sacramento Reptile Show (& in the wild)
   
7. Rodrigues fruit bat (Pteropus rodricensis) - Disney's Animal Kingdom Them Park & San Diego Zoo Safari Park
   
8. Seba’s short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) - Memphis Zoo
   
9. Small flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) - Oakland Zoo
   
10. Straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) - Oregon Zoo & Sacramento Zoo

 

Update: I just realized I also saw Pallas's long-tongued bats (Glossophaga soricina) at the Houston Zoo so make it 11.

 

Iv'e only seen four species:

Malayan Flying Fox: Disney's Animal Kingdom
Rodrigues Flying Fox: San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Straw-Colored Fruit Bat: Chehaw Park
Ghost Bat: Taronga Zoo & Featherdale Wildlife Park

Also, does anyone know if Ghost Bats are kept in zoos outside of Asutralia?

 

Probably not, although I'm not completely sure about the US. The species has never been kept in Europe. However, for me it's my most seen microbat after the Seba’s short-tailed bat (and fourth in rank for all bat species I have seen in captivity).

 

Here is a list of bats kept at ZTL zoos. I'm surprised how many insect-eating bats are kept in zoos now or in recent years. Brno has kept several species recently.

FLYING FOXES
Admiralty Islands flying fox (Pteropus admiralitatum): Berlin Zoo (1910-2)
Black flying fox (P alecto): Berlin Zoo (1932), Leipzig
Bonin flying fox (P pselaphon): Berlin Zoo (1893)
Comoro flying fox (P livingstonii): Bristol (1998 to date); Chester (2006-15); Jersey (1992 to date); Val de Reuil (2013 to date); Zurich (2010-3)
Enggano flying fox (P hypomelanus enganus): London (1925)
Vietnamese small flying fox (P.h. condorensis): Dresden (in past); Leipzig (1984-date); Walsrode (2001-date); Usti (2020 now)
Grey-headed flying fox (P poliocephalus): Antwerpen (1978); Jerusalem (2013 to date?); London (1868-1948); Nir David (2013 to date?); Rotterdam (1984)
Indian flying fox (P giganteus): 13 zoos now; 47 zoos in past
Island flying fox (P hypomelanus): Almaty (2016); Brno (1994-2006?); Dresden (1987-99); Dvur Kralove (2002); Hluboka (2007-12); Leipzig (in past); London (1867); Praha (2006-7); Ueckermunde (in past); Usti (1989 to date)
Large flying fox (P vampyrus): 13 zoos now; 15 in past
Little red flying fox (P scapulatus): Sandwich (2008-10); Wingham (2009-17)
Lyle’s flying fox (P lylei): 20 zoos now; 9 in past
Madagascar flying fox (P rufus): Berlin Zoo (1891-8); Ebbs (2000 in past); Wroclaw (2020 now)
Malekula flying fox (P anetianus eotinus): London (1934-5)
Vanuatu flying fox (P.a. bakeri): London (1934-41)
Moluccan flying fox (P chrysoproctus): Amsterdam (1922)
North Moluccan flying fox (P caniceps): Berlin Zoo (1932-40)
Ornate flying fox (P ornatus): Berlin Tierpark (1964)
Pacific flying fox (P tonganus): London (1934-41)
Philippine grey flying fox (P speciosus): Moskwa (2011)
Rodriguez flying fox (P rodricensis): 24 zoos now; 13 in past
Seychelles flying fox (P seychellensis): Bern (1983-5); Saarbrucken (1985-93)
Taiwan flying fox (P dasymallus formosus): London (in past)
Temminck’s flying fox (P temminckii): Amsterdam (1922-3)
Straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum): 13 zoos now; 10 in past
Stripe-faced fruit bat (Styloctenium wallacei): Berlin Tierpark (2002-5); Plzen (2013-5)
Sulawesi bare-backed fruit bat (Dobsonia exoleta): Berlin Zoo (1998-2000)
Swift fruit bat (Thoopterus nigrescens): Berlin Tierpark (1996-2004,2006-17); Berlin Zoo (1996,2004-6)
Angolan epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus angolensis: Duisburg (in past)
Gambian epauletted fruit bat (E gambianus): 14 zoos in past
Buettikofer’s epauletted bat (Epomops buettikoferi): London (1961-3)
Franquet’s epauletted bat (E franqueti): Amsterdam (1967-70); Antwerpen (1950); Plzen (2001-5)
Dwarf epauletted bat (Micropteropus pusillus): Paignton (in past)
Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus): 68 zoos now; 68 in past
Leach’s fruit bat (R.a. leachii): Berlin Zoo (1889); Frankfurt (1945); Koln (1880-90); London (1868-71)
Geoffroy’s rousette (R amplexicaudatus): London (1959-67)
Leschenaulti’s rousette (R leschenaultia): Frankfurt (1933-42?)
Hammerhead bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus): Burford (2018 to date); Jaderberg (2017); Plzen (2000-1); Wassenberg (2017 to date); Wien (2018-9); Wroclaw (2017 to date)
Horsfield’s short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus horsfieldii): London (1964-5)
Indian short-nosed flying fox (C sphinx): Berlin Tierpark (1996-2007); London (1871-1945?)
Indian short-nosed fruit bat (C titthaecheilus): Wien (2002-12)
Lesser short-nosed fruit bat (C brachyotis): Aberdeen (1966-70); Berlin Tierpark (1964); London (1954-61)

MOUSE-TAILED BATS
Greater mouse-tailed bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum): London (1914); Tel Aviv (2020 now)
Lesser mouse-tailed bat (R hardwickii): Waren (2015)

HORSESHOE BATS
Greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum): London (1937)
Lesser horsehoe bat (R hipposideros): Ardes sur Couze (2018-date)

SHEATH-TAILED BATS
Naked-bellied sheath-tailed bat (Tahozous nudiventris): London (1873); Waren (in past)

AMERICAN LEAF-NOSED BATS
Common yellow-shouldered bat (Sturnira lilium): Frankfurt (1977-8)
Great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus): Frankfurt (1977-89)
Pale spear-nosed bat (Phyllostomus discolor): Bemburg (2018-date); Budapest (2013); Leeuwarden (2008-15); Helsingborg (2012); Kerzers (in past); Olomouc (1994-date); Plzen (2001-date); Poznan (1985-date); Randers (2017-date)
Pallas’ long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina): 9 zoos now; 6 in past
Seba’s short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata): 40 zoos past; 18 in past
Southern long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae): Hannover (in past); Karlsruhe (2015-date); Krefeld (1998-date), Nurnberg (2012-3); Plzen (2013-date)
Common vampire (Desmodus rotundus):Berlin Zitadelle (in past); Emmen (2000); Jerusalem (2018-9); London (1972); Poznan (1996-date); Stockholm (2014); Szeged (2014)
White-winged vampire (Diaemus youngi): London (1965)

BULLDOG BATS
Lesser bulldog bat (Noctilio albiventris): Berlin Zoo (2007)

FREE-TAILED BATS
European free-tailed bat (Tadarida teniotus): Roma (in past); Tel Aviv (2020 now)
Greater naked bat (Cheiromeles torquatus): London (1963)

VESPER BATS
Western barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus): Brmp (2016)
Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auratus): Brno (2016-9); Den Haag (2013?); London (in past); Moskwa (2018); Schonebeck (2012); Warszawa (1999)
Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus): Berlin Tierpark (1962); Brno (2003-4,2010-1,2016-8); Canterbury (in past); Den Haag (in past); Duisburg (1995); London (1953); Schonebeck (2015); Southampton (in past)
Kuhl’s pipistrelle (P kuhlii): Brno (2015-6); Kiew (2018-date)
Nathusius’s pipistrelle (P nathusii): Brno (2016); Kiew (2018-date)
Soprano pipistrelle (P pygmaeus): Brno (2016,2018); Canterbury (in past)
Savi’s pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii): Brno (2010-1,2016)
Northern bat (Eptesicus nilssoni): Yaroslavi (2012,2017)
Serotine (E serotinus): Brno (2016); Kiew (2008-10); London (1960-1); Newchapel (2017); Praha (1931-2001)
Particoloured bat (Vespertilio murinus): Brno (2016-7); den Haag (in past); Kiew (2009); Moskwa (2018); Schonebeck (2013-6); Stockholm (in past); Usti (2014)
Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri): Brno (2016)
Noctule (N noctula): Brno (2004-5,201-1,2016-8); Cherkasy (2016); Dortmund (1981-2); Hortobagy (2014); Kiew (2007); London (1914-5); Moskwa (2019-date); Plzen (2013); Praha (1931-2001); Usti (2014)
Geoffroy’s bat (Myotis emarginatus): Brno (2018)
Pond bat (M dasyneme): Moskwa (2019-date)
Greater mouse-eared bat (M myotis): Ardes sur Couze (2018-date)
Water bat (M daubentonii): Den Haag (in past); London (1959)
Natterer’s bat (M nattereri): London (in past)

 

Ghost Bat is not kept in the US.

 

All these listed horseshoe bats and vesper bats are native species. Most probably they were all rescue animals which were either released or died.

Zurich zoo has a bat rescue centre near the domestic animals. Every year it has 10-20 or so bats, which come and go. The only way to see them is to be around when, once a day, a zoo volunteer comes and feeds and weighs them. Ca 2 years ago I was there by pure luck and saw 4 Nathuss’s pipistrelles. Animals technically in a zoo but almost impossible to see.

They have also an education exhibit about native bats, surprisingly well done. But no live native bats on a constant display.

 

Species I've seen:

Malayan flying fox: Disney's Animal Kingdom
Neotropical fruit bat: Zoo Miami
Another fruit microbat whose name I can't remember: Zoo Miami
Straw-colored fruit bat: Chehaw Zoo
Vampire bat: Jacksonville Zoo
Seba's short-tailed bat: Jacksonville Zoo
I believe a Jamaican fruit bat in Jamaica years ago
Southeastern US microbats I couldn't identify

 

I've got a slightly off-topic question, but if I eventually wanted to acquire a bat species for educational outreach programs, what species would you recommend?

I'm from the United States, so it would have to be a species that is common in private trade. If I'm not mistaken, I'd have to get a special permit from the DNR to have bats.

 

Egyptian Fruit Bat is by far the most common species in the private trade in the US. They are tame enough. Big Brown Bats are around as well, but are much harder to find. It would be nice to have Big Brown though, as they are a native species and would give you an opportunity to talk about WNS.

 

Straw-Colored Fruit Bats are a species I've seen for sale as well. I'd prefer a fruit bat species over the big browns. I just like their appearance more. Topics like WNS and how bats benefit their environments can be accompanied by any species of bat. (i.e. I could talk about how many insects a bat eats in a night, even if it's a fruit bat.)

 

Detroit currently has a small group of Straw-colored fruit bats living with their sloth. I haven't heard of any news with the Bat Conservation Center, but if they do eventually decide to make it an actual thing, then I'll assume they'll bring in more species (however as it currently looks I have my doubts)

 

Bat World Sanctuary in Weatherford, Texas (near Dallas-Fort Worth) is the largest bat rehabilitation center in the US, saving over a thousand bat lives every year. Of the animals that cannot be released, the following species are kept. I went through 6 years of their annual report/newsletter and compiled this list.

Microbats:
Molossidae
Mexican Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Vespertilionidae
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis)
Hoary Bat (Aeorestes cinereus)
Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)
Northern Yellow Bat (Dasypterus intermedius)
Southern Yellow Bat (Dasypterus ega)
Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer)

Note: They are not open to the public.

 

Always a challenge to find unique bat species in captivity- only makes it that much more satisfying when you do!

Here is my life list:


1. (Anoura geoffroyi) Geoffroy’s tailless bat (Bat Jungle)
2. (Antrozous pallidus) Pallid Bat (Fort Worth)
3. (Artibeus jamaicensis) Jamaican fruit bat (Various)
4. (Artibeus lituratus) Great fruit-eating bat (Bat Jungle)
5. (Carollia castanea) Chestnut short-tailed bat (Tirimbina)
6. (Carollia perspicillata) Seba’s short-tailed Bat (Various)
7. (Cynopterus brachyotis) Lesser dog-faced fruit bat (Columbus, Org for Bat Con, wild at Singaore Zoo)
8. (Dasypterus intermedius) Northern yellow bat (Peace River)
9. (Dermanura tolteca) Toltec fruit-eating bat (Bat Jungle)
10. (Desmodus rotundus) Common vampire bat (Various)
11. (Diaemus youngi) White-winged vampire bat (Syracuse)
12. (Eidolon helvum) Straw-coloured fruit bat (Various)
13. (Epomophorus gambianus) Gambian epauletted bat (Plzen, Berlin Tierpark)
14. (Eptesicus brasiliensis) Brazilian brown bat (wild in Cali Zoo)
15. (Eptesicus fuscus) big brown bat (VA Living Museum, Earthplace, Org for Bat Con, Lubee)
16. (Glossophaga commissarisi) Commissaris’s long-tongued bat (Bat Jungle)
17. (Glossophaga soricina) Pallas' long-tongued bat (Bronx, Berlin)
18. (Hypsignathus monstrosus) Hammerhead bat (Wroclaw)
19. (Lasionycteris noctivagans) silver-haired bat (Org for Bat Con)
20. (Leptonycteris curasoae) Southern long-nosed bat (Krefeld)
21. (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Fort Worth)
22. (Macroderma gigas) Ghost bat (Sydney, Territory WP)
23. (Myotis albescens) Silver-tipped myotis (wild in M'Bopicua)
24. (Myotis austroriparius) Southeastern myotis (Lubee)
25. (Noctilio leporinus) Greater bulldog bat (Omaha)
26. (Nycticeius humeralis) evening bat (Org for Bat Con, Peace River, Lubee)
27. (Phyllostomus discolor) Pale spear-nosed bat (Plzen)
28. (Phyllostomus hastatus) Greater spear-nosed bat (Omaha)
29. (Pipistrellus abramus) Japanese pipistrelle (Tama, Ueno)
30. (Platyrrhinus vittatus) Greater broad-nosed bat (Bat Jungle)
31. (Plecotus auritus) Brown long-eared bat (Moscow)
32. (Pteropus alecto) Black Flying Fox (Territory WP)
33. (Pteropus conspicillatus) Spectacled flying fox (Caversham, Featherdale, Lubee)
34. (Pteropus dasymallus) Ryukyu fruit bat (Ueno, Inoakashira)
35. (Pteropus giganteus) Indian flying fox (Various)
36. (Pteropus hypomelanus) Vietnamese small flying fox (Leipzig Zoo, Lubee)
37. (Pteropus livingstonii) Comoro flying fox (Bristol)
38. (Pteropus lylei) Lyle’s flying fox (Temaiken, Pata)
39. (Pteropus poliocephalus) Grey-headed flying fox (Caversham, Healsville, Lubee)
40. (Pteropus pumilus) Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox (Omaha, Lubee)
41. (Pteropus rodricensis) Rodrigues flying fox (Various)
42. (Pteropus scapulatus) Little red flying fox (Auckland)
43. (Pteropus vampyrus) Large flying fox (Various)
44. (Rousettus aegyptiacus) Egyptian fruit bat (Various)
45. (Rousettus lanosus) Long-haired Rousette (Omaha, Franklin Park)
46. (Rousettus leschenaultia) Leschenault’s Rousette (Ueno)
47. (Tadarida brasiliensis) Mexican free-tailed bat (Lindsay Wildlife Museum)
48. (Thoopterus nigrescens) Swift fruit bat (Berlin Tierpark)
49. (Vespertilio murinus) Parti-colored bat (Moscow)

 

Fort Worth Zoo emailed me back and said unfortunately they no longer have pallid bat and lesser long-nosed bat. Does anyone know if there are still any holders of these 2 species anywhere?

 

In the US there shouldn't be. The lesser long-nosed is held at a zoo in Mexico - or at least was as of 2017: Zoobat Collections (N. America)

@RatioTile out of curiosity do you know if they are acquiring more bats of any species?

 

I can ask. A YouTube video taken there last year showed what appeared to be Seba’s, which more and more zoos breed now.

 

I was told these bats were moved to Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX, but I am awaiting confirmation.

 

I really ought to travel to expand my bat experiences.

I've seen the Rodrigues Flying Fox and Common Vampire Bat (lucky to see them before they were long removed) in Brookfield and both the Straw colored and Egyptian fruit bats from Lincoln Park.

That is not counting the wild little brown bats that always fly around on summer nights here.

 

Is the Rodrigues fruit bat particularly common in US zoos ?