---
title: "Morcego-cabeça-de-martelo"
description: "Hypsignathus monstrosus — Mamíferos. The hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), also known as hammer-headed fruit bat, big-lipped bat, and hammerhead bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pt/animal/hammer-headed-fruit-bat
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Morcego-cabeça-de-martelo

> Hypsignathus monstrosus — Mamíferos. The hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), also known as hammer-headed fruit bat, big-lipped bat, and hammerhead bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa.

- Scientific name: *Hypsignathus monstrosus*
- Category: `mammals` (Mamíferos)
- Habitats: `forest` (Floresta), `jungle` (Selva)
- iNaturalist observations: 146
- Wikidata: [Q304912](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q304912)
- iNaturalist taxon: [40843](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/40843)

## Names

- en: Hammer-headed Fruit Bat
- de: Hammerkopf-Flughund
- es: Murciélago cabeza de martillo
- fr: Hypsignathe monstrueux
- nl: Hamerkopvleerhond
- pt: Morcego-cabeça-de-martelo
- pl: Wielkogłów

## Countries with the most observations

UG (25), GH (20), GA (14), CD (13), CG (11), CM (7), CI (6), SL (6), AO (5), NG (5), CF (4), LR (4)

## Summary

The hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), also known as hammer-headed fruit bat, big-lipped bat, and hammerhead bat, is a megabat widely distributed in West and Central Africa. It is the only member of the genus Hypsignathus, which is part of the tribe Epomophorini along with four other genera. It is the largest bat in continental Africa, with wingspans approaching 1 m (3.3 ft), and males are almost twice as heavy as females. Males and females also greatly differ in appearance, making it the most sexually dimorphic bat species in the world. These differences include several adaptations that help males produce…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer-headed_bat

## Photo

![Morcego-cabeça-de-martelo](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/hammer-headed-fruit-bat/medium.jpg)

Photo: Sarah H. Olson,
Gerard Bounga,
Alain Ondzie,
Trent Bushmaker,
Stephanie N. Seifert,
Eeva Kuisma,
Dylan W. Taylor,

Vincent J. Munster, Chris Walzer · CC0 · commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hypsignathus_monstrosus.png

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/hammer-headed-fruit-bat?lang=pt` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).