About Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818)
This species, Artibeus lituratus, has a documented weight range: newborns weigh 10.5 grams (0.37 oz), while adults reach up to 65 grams (2.3 oz). The heart of Artibeus lituratus contains unique membranous structures that have not been observed in any other mammal. The purpose of these distinct structures is still under investigation, but researchers hypothesize they may help hold the heart in the correct position when the bat is upside down, assist with flight, or store energy. Field observations in Panama have recorded some Artibeus lituratus carrying fruits of Dipteryx panamensis (a member of the legume family Fabaceae) that weigh 18 to 23 grams – equal to one third of the bat's own body weight – over distances of up to hundreds of meters away from the parent tree.
