Lesser Long-Nosed Bats

Although Organ Pipe Cactus has its share of insect-eating bats, it is the nectar-eating bats that are the true heroes of the night sky and the Sonoran Desert. They are the primary night pollinators of the saguaro and organ pipe cactus, which makes them very valuable to the Sonoran Desert Ecosystem.When the night-blooming saguaro and organ pipe flowers first open, they emit a sweet, musky perfume. The bats seek out the source of this highly attractive odor. They poke their long noses deep into the tubular cactus flower reaching for the sweet nectar. Their long tongues lick up the syrup. When the bats emerge from the flowers, their heads are covered with pollen. As these feeding bats fly from flower to flower, they also pollinate the flowers. After the bats have their fill, they often seek a night roost, a place where they can rest, digest their meal and groom themselves. Throughout the night, the bats will leave these night roosting spots to feed again and again, often returning to the colony to check up on their "pups."