 Carnivores, frugivores, and bats that specialize on blood or nectar and pollen are all represented in this family.Commonly known as the American leaf-nosed bats, phyllostomids are characterized by a special structure consisting of a leaf-shaped projection extending up from a “horseshoe-shaped” base attached to their upper lip.These bats send their echolocation calls out their nostrils, and so the noseleaf may help direct the sounds that they emit.