Spectral Bats Greet Each Other with 'Hugs' and Share Food, Video Study Reveals

Playful, social and cuddly: world's largest carnivorous bat surprises researchers

With a metre wingspan, a wicked bite and a face straight out of a creature feature, you'd be hard pressed to describe spectral bats as cute. But new research shows the apex predator is much more social — and cuddly — than we thought.

Spectral bats greet each other with 'hugs' and share food, video study reveals

The world's largest carnivorous bat has a surprisingly rich social life, displaying affectionate greetings and providing food to family group members, according to a study by Marisa Tietge at Museum für Naturkunde—Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science in Germany, and colleagues, published in the open-access journal PLOS One.

These giant carnivorous bats hug, cuddle — and even share dinner

Infrared cameras in Costa Rica revealed that the world’s largest carnivorous bat maintains close social bonds through wing wraps and prey sharing.

World’s largest carnivorous bats are big softies

Spectral bats share prey, hug, and even form 'tight cuddle-balls' when falling asleep.

Scientific study reveals softer side of world’s largest meat-eating bats

By Stephen Beech The world’s largest carnivorous bats greet each other with "hugs" and share food, reveals new research. Spectral bats have a "surprisingly rich" social life - displaying affectionate greetings and providing food to family group members, say scientists. Researchers were "astonished" to discover how "gentle and cooperative" the apex predators - also known as false vampire bats - are in their natural habitat. The nocturnal lifestyl…