Bats covered in pollen make tequila possible

This fluorescent bat did not fly into bright yellow road paint or dive into a bowl of saffron. It’s covered in pollen.

Lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) are some of the animal kingdom’s lesser-known pollinators. The medium-sized bats primarily live in arid grasslands, desert scrublands, and dry tropical forests. In North America, female lesser long-nosed bats migrate from south-central Mexico up to the southwestern United States in the spring. They follow “nectar corridors” of columnar cacti and agave plants.

From brush-tipped tongues to bodies covered in fine hair that gathers pollen, the lesser long-nosed bat is a perfectly-designed pollinator. Image: NPS.

According to the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), this particular bat ended up covered in pollen after stopping on a blooming agave plant.

“As it travels from flower to flower, the bat helps pollinate the plants that support desert ecosystems and produce crops we rely on,” the DOI writes. “And yes, agave pollination also plays a role in helping make tequila possible.”

Lesser long-nosed bats are so linked to tequila that they are commonly called the ‘tequila bat.’ They pollinate agave plants, which are then used to make tequila and mezcal. When they feed on cactus fruits and nectar, they may also help disperse cacti seeds.

A lesser long-nosed bat sips nectar from a cactus flower. Image: Bruce Taubert/Bat Conservation Inc. via USFWS.

While the lesser long-nosed bats are considered near threatened, they are a conservation success story. In 2018, it became the first bat species to be taken off of the Endangered Species Act, after 30 years of conservation efforts.

These bats and other pollinators such as bees, butterflies, beetles, and moths are all being celebrated during National Pollinator Week (June 22, 28, 2026). While critical to our entire ecosystem, habitat loss, pesticides, pathogens, and changes in land use among other impacts threaten the pollinators. According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the number of managed honey bee colonies in the United States dropped from five million in the 1940s to roughly 2.68 million in 2023.

To help protect the planet’s pollinators, a growing number of home gardeners and cities are planting pollinator gardens. Native plants can attract and house the pollinators needed to grow fruits, vegetables, and other plants that we need to survive. Backyards can even be transformed into bat hangouts, so that these power pollinators and insect eaters have a place to rest.

The post Bats covered in pollen make tequila possible appeared first on Popular Science.