Choeronycteris mexicana

This species was regarded as monotypic by Jones and Carter (1976), Koopman (in Wilson and Reeder 1993), and Simmons (in Wilson and Reeder 2005); nominal subspecies ponsi from northwestern Venezuela is now regarded as a subspecies of Choeroniscus periosus (Simmons, in Wilson and Reeder 2005).

This species is broadly distributed across a wide range of habitats from Central America to the southwestern United States. Population size is unknown, though it does not appear to be abundant anywhere. Population trends are also not known. Threats include loss of nectar and pollen sources (agave and cacti), loss of riparian habitats, and disturbance at roost sites.

The range extends from the southwestern United States southward through México to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (Hoffmeister 1986, Arroyo-Cabrales et al. 1987, Cryan and Bogan 2003, López-González and García-Mendoza 2006, Riechers-Pérez and R. Vidal-López 2009, Ammerman et al. 2012, Cajas Castillo et al. 2015). In the U.S., it is regularly found during spring and summer months in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western and southern Texas (Davis and Schmidly 1994, Schmidly 2004, Balin 2009, Ammerman et al. 2012). It is also irregularly found in southern California, northern Arizona, and southern Nevada (Olson 1947, Huey 1954, Barbour and Davis 1969, Constantine 1987, O'Shea et al. 2018). It is also found seasonally during the summer months in Guatemala (Cajas Castillo et al. 2015). The usual elevational range extends from about 300 to 2,400 meters (Adams 2003, Cryan and Bogan 2003, Fleming et al. 2003). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 3.227 million km² (RARECAT 2025).

The number of distinct occurrences has not been determined using standardized criteria. Also, this species roosts in small groups or singly, so roosting occurrences may be difficult to detect. Nevertheless, it appears that the species is represented by a relatively large number of roost sites and locations (as defined by IUCN). For example, as of the late 1990s, in a small portion of the northern part of the range, about 100 roost sites had been identified in southern Arizona (Bill Peachey, pers. comm., 1998).

The degree of threat is unknown rangewide but thought to be moderate in Arizona (Bill Peachey, pers. comm., 1998). The major threat is loss of food supplies (nectar and pollen of agave and columnar cactus) due to development, ranching practices, harvesting (e.g., agave harvest for tequila production in México), or other activities that reduce or degrade agave and/or columnar cactus populations, which can take decades to recover (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1997; Bill Peachey, pers. comm., 1998; Western Bat Working Group 1998). Loss of riparian vegetation corridors is a potential rangewide threat (Cryan and Bogan 2003, O'Shea et al. 2018).

Disturbance of roost sites is another significant threat (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 1997). Recent observations indicate that roosts are particularly vulnerable to disturbance only during two very brief periods during the year (Bill Peachey, pers. comm., 1998). First, when young are first born (possibly for a period of only a few hours) and left to hang in the roost while the mother forages. Second, just before young are able to fly. At this time, the young are too large to be carried by the mother and are left hanging in the roost. Disturbance of the roost during these two periods could cause young to fall and die. The remainder of the time, the mother carries the young while foraging. Roosting adults are quite wary and generally take flight when disturbed, but they are not much affected by occasional roost disturbance (Bill Peachey, pers. comm., 1998, O'Shea et al. 2018). They readily move among roosts in a small area and use a wide range of roost structures, therefore, availability of suitable roost structures likely does not limit this bat's overall distribution (Cryan and Bogan 2003). Locally, these bats may be negatively affected by recreational caving (i.e., frequent or ill-timed cave entry), natural or intentional mine closure, renewed mining, or mine reclamation (Western Bat Working Group Workshop 1998).

Shooting is a problem in some areas of Arizona. In México, killing is a problem and can wipe out some small local populations. Mexican populations are highly persecuted as they are associated with evil, the devil, and often mistaken as vampire bats (Bill Peachey, pers. comm., 1998).