Centronycteris centralis
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Thomas's shaggy bat (Centronycteris centralis) is a bat species from Central and South America. It was previously included in the shaggy bat but Simmons and Handley (1998) showed that the species were distinct. It was described as a new species in 1912 by British mammalogist Oldfield Thomas. The holotype had been collected by H. J. Watson in 1898 in Panama. Its species name "centralis" is Latin for "in the middle."
The fur of its back is gray while the fur around its eyes and near its uropatagium is reddish. Its ventral fur is yellowish. Despite being in the sac-winged bat family, it lacks wing sacs. It is a small species, with individuals weighing only 4–6 g (0.14–0.21 oz). Its forearm length is approximately 45 mm (1.8 in). Its dental formula is 1.1.2.33.1.2.3 for a total of 32 teeth.
It is nocturnal, roosting in sheltered places during the day such as hollow trees. It forages for its insect prey with a "slow and maneuverable" flight. It is usually found at low elevations of 0–300 m (0–984 ft) above sea level, but has been documented at up 1,450 m (4,760 ft).
It is found in Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Thomas's Shaggy Bat sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and December–April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Thomas's Shaggy Bat in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–June and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Thomas's Shaggy Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Thomas's Shaggy Bat sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Corcovado National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Emballonuridae
The closest relatives of the Thomas's Shaggy Bat that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Emballonuridae, Sheath-tailed Bats) are Proboscis Bat (about 10%) and Greater Sac-winged Bat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Thomas's Shaggy Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
