What Links Bats and Tequila?

The long-nosed bat is an expert at feeding on the nectar of various cactus flowers without getting pricked. They travel up to 700 miles a year, following cactus bloom cycles from Mexcio to the US and back again. The bat's tongue is as long as its body, enabling it to reach deep into the flowers for the sweet nectar.

As they feed, they transfer pollen that gets trapped in their fur from flower to flower, just as bees do. Sometimes feeding on up to 100 blooms in one night, the long-nosed bat is the primary pollinator of the cactus. To be noted, the bats pollenate Agave cacti, the plants that bring us tequila. Without these bats to help the plants pollenate, the cacti wouldn't be able to provide us with the makings of tequila.