Miller's long-tongued bat has only been found to live in Northern South America, and several islands near the mainland. Specifically, it is found as far North and West as Colombia, as far East as Guyana, and some of the Caribbean islands. It is distributed continuously throughout those regions (Webster, Handley, and Soriano 1998) (Webster 1991). The islands it inhabits includes the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire), the continental islands of Margarita, Trinidad, and Tobago, and the Southern Lesser Antillies from Grenada as far North as St. Vincent (not including Barbados) (Webster 1993).

Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )

Miller's long-tongued bat looks very similar externally to other glassophagine bats. The rostrum is slightly elongate, the cheekteeth are narrow and elongate, and the lower jaw is delicate (Nowak 1997; Webster et al. 1998). As in other bats of this group, the tongue is protrusible and is covered in front and on the sides with many bristle-like papillae (Nowak 1997; Webster et al. 1998). The pelage is bicolored, with the tips of the individual hairs much darker than the pale bases. The dorsal pelage ranges from Wood Brown to Fuscous, and the ventral ranges from Avellaneous to Clove Brown (Webster and Handley 1993). Each subscapular hair has smooth petal-shaped scales, and two scales surround the shaft at any given height (Webster et al. 1998).

Adult males have an average body mass of 13.3 g, and adult females have an average body mass of 12.8 g. However, despite the smaller mass size, females have been found to have significantly larger cranial and forearm lengths than the males. Males have longer canines than the females, averaging 2.32mm versus 2.18mm, respectively (Webster et al. 1998). Measurements recorded by Webster reveal the following (in mm) for males and females respectively: total length, 52-75, 58-80; tail length, 4-12, 4-18; hind foot length, 9-15, 8.5-14; length of ear from notch, 11-18, 11-20 (Webster et al. 1998). The dental pattern is 2/2, 1/1, 2/3, 3/3, with a total of 34 teeth (Webster et al. 1998). Miller's long-tongued bat has a fused palate.

Range mass: 12.8 to 13.3 g.

• Terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

G. longirostris mainly feeds on fruit, pollen, and nectar. Occasionally, some insects are also eaten. The plants from which these bats preferably take their nectar, pollen, and fruit include the columnar cacti (Stenocereus griseus, Subpilocereus repanus, Pilocereus tillianus) and the "palo de mora" (Moraceae: Chlorophora lianus) (Webster et al. 1998). Miller's long tongued bat is very important for pollination and seed dispersal of these plants. The flowering and fruiting cycles of these plant species varies individually so that pollen and fruit are available to the bats throughout the year. Fruit is usually the main source of food for the rainy season and pollen for the dry season (Webster et al. 1998).

The reproduction of Miller's long-tongued bat is described as "uniparous bimodal polyestry" (Webster et al. 1998). There are two main periods of pregnancy, one from December to April, and the other from June to October. Lactating females have been found in every month except February. One isolated population was found to have two annual reproductive peaks that correlated with the flowering and fruiting of the Cactaceae and Moraceae that dominated their habitat (Webster et al. 1998).

The female's body mass increases as much as 25% during the three month gestation period. Late term embryos weighed as much as 4.5g, and juveniles have been found in every month except April, with peaks in June and October (Webster et al. 1998).

(WCMC 1997)

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: data deficient

Miller's long-tongued bat is very important in the pollination and seed dispersal of the plant species on which it feeds (Webster et al. 1998).