[2] The tongue is long and easily extended to lap up nectar, a task made easier by the presence of hook-like papillae on the tip.

[3] Southern long-nosed bats are found in northern Colombia and Venezuela, and the neighbouring islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

[1] They inhabit semi-arid to arid habitats from coastal islands to the Andes, including thorn forest, scrubland, and patches of Pachycereus cactus.

[2] The species is thought to have arisen around 540,000 years ago, separating from the lesser long-nosed bats when they dispersed along a temporary corridor of semi-arid habitat connecting Mexico and South America.

For most of the year, around 90% of their diet is derived from various species of cactus, although they also feed on Agave and Ceiba when those plants are in bloom.