Welcome to the Bat Jungle Exhibit

Richard Laval, the creator of the bat house Monteverde, is a long-time citizen of Monteverde and has dedicated the majority of his life to learning about bats and sharing his appreciation for these misunderstood, strangely cute creatures of the night.

Simulated Nocturnal Jungle Environment

While there are many parts of the bat jungle exhibition in Monteverde, the most sought-after part is the simulated bat environment. The enclosure is 57 feet in length and features an ultrasonic microphone. The bats believe it’s night, so they are awake, flying, eating, socializing, and taking care of their young.

The Importance of Bats

Did you know that the most numerous mammal of Costa Rica is the bat? Bats are nocturnal and will avoid break light, event the moonlight. Most people will take the tour because of an interest in seeing bats up close.

Another fun fact about bats is that bats will feed on insect, others will feed on fruit or the nectar of flowers. This is why bats are beneficial for the environmant because they are needed to control the insect population, regenerate the forest, and pollinate flowers.

In this tour, you’ll learn about where bats root, what they eat, how their wings are different from birds', and conservation efforts. Different species will feed on different types of insects, flowers and even frogs or fish.

Last fun fact, you probably knew that dolphins and whales use sonar called echolocation but did you know that is how bats figure out how far an object is away from them or even how big something is.

The tour will give you a lot of information and more fun facts for you to take back to your family and friends. And who knows, maybe one of your kids will want to be “A Chiropterologist,” someone who studies all about bats!

FAQ about the Bat Jungle Exhibit

Do I need a guide for the Bat Jungle Exhibit?

Costa Rican Vacations does recommend a guide, as they will notice and point out details you might otherwise miss.

When’s the best time to visit?

Just before 11 am, which is feeding time.

Where can you see bats in Costa Rica?

In most forests, especially on night tours, you can see bats, but seeing them up close is only done at the Bat Jungle Exhibit.