Bats (Chiroptera)

Neotropical Rainforest Mammals A Field Guide Text by Louise H. Emmons Color Plates and Illustrations by Frangois Feer The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London Bats (Chiroptera) Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Their forelimbs are true wings that are flapped in powered flight. Their wing membranes are made of remarkable skin that is strong, soft, flexible, and can heal if punctured. The skin is amazingly elastic: when a bat closes its wings, the membrane does not fold but contracts like a sheet of rubber, yet the wing opens with almost no force required to stretch it. All New World bats belong to the suborder Microchiroptera. These bats all use a kind of sonar, or echolocation. High-frequency sounds are emitted through the mouth or nose, and the returning echoes inform the bat about the characteristics of nearby objects. This enables bats not only to navigate in the complete darkness of caves and low light of forest understory, but also to home in on flying insects. Most echolocation sounds are ultrasonic (above the human hearing range), but people with good hearing can hear a faint ticking sound as a bat flies close by. A few species that feed on large insects echolocate with audible sounds. Members of different families are often specialized for different styles of echolocation, with distinctive configurations of the ears to gather the sounds and structures around the mouth and nose to emit them. Most echolocating bats also see quite well, especially in dim light. Despite these senses, bats flying down a familiar path may not be paying attention or from curiosity may fly close to people and may bump them or brush them with their wings; a bat will not get tangled in human hair (an old superstition), and it will not bite spontaneously. But like many animals, a bat will bite in its own defense if it is restrained in the hand. Relatively few species of bats in Neotropical rainforest have ever been found to carry rabies, but there is a risk, especially in populated regions with many cattle and dogs. The best policy is either not to handle live bats or to use heavy gloves when doing so. Bats are beneficial; they eat enormous quantities of insects, pollinate many important plants such as balsa, chicle, and calabash, and help regenerate the forest by dispersing seeds. In numbers of species, bats are the most important order of mammals in Neotropical rainforests: in a given forest there are generally as many species of bats as there are of all other species of mammals combined; 39% of all mammal species in the region are bats. Worldwide, bats are the second largest order of mammals, with about 950 species. Sheath-tailed Bats (Emballonuridae) Dental formula: 11/3, Cl/1, P2/2, M3/3 = 32. The New World members of this family are all small (3—23 g). They have plain faces with no elaborate structures or warts. The nose is simple, the muzzle a little elongated and upturned, with nostrils slightly tubelike and pointing forward, the snout extending well beyond the lower lip. The ear is a simple, broad triangle, slightly pointed or rounded at the tip, often deeply ridged with parallel folds on its inner, rear half and edge; the tragus is a short, simple stub. The eye is quite large and almond-shaped, coming to a gradual point in the inner comer. The tail is sheathed in the tail membrane for most of its length, but the tip sticks out freely above from the middle of the membrane. The extended tail membrane is as long as or longer than the legs. These bats all have long, fine lax fur. In many species, either just males or both sexes have a moist, glandular pocket in the wing membrane forward of the elbow (propatagium). Bats of this family are all aerial insectivores: New World species all have a slow, fluttering, butterflylike flight and tend to forage in "beats," repeating the same flight path again and again, night after night. They do not have as strong an aversion to daylight as do most bats, and many species roost in open, well-lit places. They often fly when there is some daylight at dusk or dawn. The roosting posture of bats of this family is distinctive: the bat hangs head downward from a vertical or slanted surface, with the feet spread apart and the front of the body supported against the surface by the thumbs on the tips of the folded wings that are held out at an angle to the body (plate 5); the head is raised up and facing straight outward; the tail membrane is contracted and the tail pro44 Bats (Chiroptera) 45 trudes; the roosting bat often rocks from side to side if disturbed. The family is worldwide, tropical and subtropical, and includes about 48 species, 18 of them in the New World. Long-nosed Bat Rhynchonycteris naso Plates B, 5; map 30 Identification. Measurements: HB = 3753; T = 9-19; HF = 7-9; E = 10-14; FA = 35-41; WT = 3-7 g. Upperparts brown heavily frosted or grizzled with dirty white, brown base of fur showing through gives slightly variegated look; lower back with two indistinct wavy white lines; forearm with little white tufts of hair evenly spaced along wingbone; wings and tail membrane brown. Nose elongated, proboscislike, extending far beyond mouth. Tail membrane longer than legs, calcar about three times as long as foot; membrane thinly haired for about length of tail on upper side. Underparts whitish, hair brown at base. Variation. Lines on back may be prominent or almost invisible; color varies from tawny brown to whitish frosted. Similar species. These are the only little bats with an elongated nose: see whitelined sac-winged bats (Saccopteryx spp.). Natural history. Feeds on tiny insects (about 2 mm). Long-nosed bats forage over water, such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. They are one of the most commonly seen and locally well known bats. They roost in the open over or beside water, on the lower side of a large branch, fallen tree, leaning tree trunk, steep face of a bank, or below a bridge. They roost in groups of 3-45, usually about 12, and hang in a characteristic straight line, with each bat spaced 2-4 cm from its neighbors. The frosted fur blends perfectly with tree bark, but the profile of evenly spaced little bumps is a giveaway. They sometimes start to rock back and forth, with all group members swaying like leaves in the wind. If approached too closely, the entire group flies off like a little flock of moths. They can be seen on almost any river trip in the rainforest region. At dusk they are the first bats to be seen out foraging over the water surface. Found in rainforest, dry forest, gallery forest, secondary vegetation, gardens, or pastures. Map 30 I I Long-nosed bat. Rhynchonycteris naso Geographic range. Central and South America: Veracruz, Mexico, south to N Bolivia, and Matto Grosso and Minas Gerais, Brazil. Status. Often common; widespread. References. Bradbury, J., and S. L. Vehrencamp. 1976. Social organization and foraging in emballonurid bats. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 1:337-81. White-lined Sac-winged Bats Saccopteryx spp. Plates B, 5, map 31 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4067; T = 11-20; HF = 6-13; FA = 3550; WT = 3-12 g. Upperparts dark, black-brown to tawny brown, usually with two wavy white lines from shoulder to end of rump. Wing sac well developed in males, close to forearm bone beyond elbow. Tail membrane longer than legs, calcar about two times as long as foot. Underparts usually pale brown, fur darker brown at base. Species. There are four species: S. bilineata is the largest (7-12 g), almost black, with blackish wings and tail and prominent white lines; S. leptura (4-7 g) is chocolatebrown with chestnut tints, distinct yellowish lines on back, brown wings and tail membrane; S. canescens (3-4 g) is tawny brown, frosted with grayish or yellowish especially on head, indistinct white lines on back, brown wings and tail membranes; 46 Species Accounts Map 31 S. gymnura (3-4 g) is dark chocolatebrown, with no stripes and underparts only slightly paler than back, wings and tail membranes brown. Similar species. S. canescens is like the long-nosed bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) but has short muzzle and no tufts of hair on forearm; the position of the wing sac distinguishes S. gymnura from doglike (Peropteryx spp.) or chestnut (Cormura brevirostris) sac-winged bats. Sounds. S. bilineata often and S. leptura rarely "sing" at their roosts with a cricketlike twittering and chirping, and both species chirp loudly during encounters with conspecifics while foraging. Natural history. White-lined bats feed on tiny insects (2-4 mm). They come out to forage during the last daylight and fly in beats, repeating the same path again and again. They forage at dusk inside the forest (S. leptura), in small openings in the forest, the forest edges, around camps (where they often fly through buildings), river edges and pastures (5. bilineata, S. canescens). Later in the evening they may move higher and higher, to forage above the forest canopy. They roost in small groups, each bat spaced a few centimeters from its neighbors, inside hollow trees, or on the outside of a tree under an overhanging branch or knot (S. leptura), or in cavelike cavities between giant buttresses of trees such as figs (5. bilineata), under bridges or the outer eves of houses in forest. S. bilineata has a complex social system in which a male defends a tiny territory at the roost site, around his harem of one to eight females. Several harems may roost side by side on a tree. The male displays by waving his folded wing, with the gland open, at another bat, or sometimes he hovers in flight, singing to his mates. It is easy to see these behaviors by watching discreetly, especially at dawn or from four to six in the afternoon. The harem of females together defends a territory where they feed. S. leptura has a simpler social system; that of the other two species is unknown. Found in lowland mature and secondary rainforest, dry forest, gallery forest, plantations and gardens, and pastures. Geographic range. Central and South America: S. bilineata ranges from S Mexico to SE Brazil; S. leptura from S Mexico to Bolivia and to Bahia, Brazil; S. canescens from the Amazon Basin and Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas; S. gymnura is known only from Brazil near the Amazon River from the Rio Tapaj6s to Belem. Status. All are widespread and sometimes common except S. gymnura, which appears to be restricted and rare. References. Bradbury, J. W., and L. H. Emmons. 1974. Social organization of some Trinidad bats. I. Emballonuridae. Z. Tierpsychol. 36:137-83. Bradbury, J., and S. L. Vehrencamp. 1976. Social organization and foraging in emballonurid bats. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 1:337-81. Shaggy Bat Centronycteris maximiliani Plate B, map 32 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4657; T = 20-32; HF = 7-9; E = 17-19; FA = 43-49; WT = 5-6 g. Upperparts smoky brown with yellow-orange tint; hair very long and woolly. Head woolly with hair extending to nose and chin; ear with prominent parallel ridges on inner rear edge. Tail long, emerging about halfway down tail membrane; tail membrane much longer than legs when extended; strongly patterned with parallel rows of dots crossed by prominent branching veins; reddish body hair extends onto the base of the membrane. Underparts slightly more yellowish than back. No wing sac. Bat like a small ball of fluff. Bats (Chiroptera) 47 Map 32 Map 33 ilil Shaggy bal, Centronycteris maximiliani Similar species. Long-nosed bats have a long nose and variegated fur. Natural history. Shaggy bats forage in beats, with a slow fluttering flight; they have been noted flying in late afternoon. They roost in tree holes. Found in mature rainforest and secondary forest. Geographic range. Central and South America: Veracruz, Mexico, south to Ecuador and N Peru, on both sides of the Andes, and all of N South America north of the Amazon and south to coastal Bahia. Poorly known. Status. Apparently rare everywhere in large geographic range. Doglike Sac-winged Bats Per opteryx spp. Plate B, map 33 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4164; T = 8-17; HF = 6-12; E = 10-20; FA = 38.5-53.6; WT = 3-11 g. Upperparts chocolate-brown, grayish smoky brown, or yellowish smoky brown; fur long and lax. Head with a prominent tuft on crown, this tuft slightly wavy, ending abruptly over naked face; mouth fringed with a narrow mustache of stiff hairs; snout short and broad; ear pointed, with fold from inner rim extending partly or completely across forehead. Wings and tail membrane brown, or wings white. Tail membrane long, calcar twice as long as foot; membrane with rows of fine dots below, undersurface covered with short, fine, stiff hairs, feels rough; above slightly hairy with body hair extending onto membrane for length of II1II1 Doglike sac-winged bats, Peropteryx tail, about one-third of length. Glandular sac on forward edge of propatagium. Underparts like back or paler. Species. There are three species: P. kappleri is large (6-11 g) and chocolate-brown; P. macrotis is small (3-8 g)and chocolate or smoky to tawny brown; P. leucoptera is intermediate, with white wings and a membrane or fold completely across forehead between ears above naked face; it is sometimes placed in a separate genus (Peronymus). Similar species. Chestnut sac-winged bats (Cormura brevirostris) have no hair on top of tail membrane and a line of hair running down muzzle; least sac-winged bats (Balantiopteryx spp.) have the wing sac in the center of the propatagium, not at its forward edge, and often have a white rear edge on wing and a long snout. Natural history. P. macrotis feeds mainly on tiny beetles and flies. P. kappleri roosts in small groups of one to six near the ground in hollow logs, moist hollow buttressed trees, or caves, where the bats hang in contact in a line, each touching with its belly the back of the one in front (they separate if disturbed). P. macrotis roosts in rock piles, rock crevices, caves, hollow logs, houses, or tunnels, and P. kappleri also sometimes uses these roosts. P. kappleri forages in the rainforest subcanopy, flying in long, slow beats 20-30 m long; it more rarely uses croplands. P. macrotis usually forages in rainforest but also feeds in savannas, plantations, and dry forests. P. leucoptera is poorly known. Geographic range. Central and South . 48 Species Accounts Map 34 America: P. kappleri and P. macrotis from S Mexico to Paraguay and SE Brazil; P. kappleri not in the Amazon Basin. P. leucoptera from the Guianas, the Amazon Basin, and coastal Brazil to Bahia. Status. Widespread but may be restricted by roosting sites; generally uncommon or rare. References. Bradbury, J., and S. L. Vehrencamp. 1976. Social organization and foraging in emballonurid bats. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 1:337-81. Chestnut Sac-winged Bat Cormura brevirostris Plate B, map 34 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5065; T = 11-16; HF = 7-10; E = 1316; FA = 41-50; WT = 8-11 g; females slightly larger than males. Upperparts rich, chestnut red-brown, or dark, black-brown; fur medium length. Wings and tail membrane black; hair of body does not extend onto base of tail membrane. Ear tip rounded, inside of ear with deep, parallel ridges; fur of crown gradually decreasing in length down muzzle; lower face naked. Wing sac long; a slit in the center of the propatagium is present in both sexes. Tail short, pierces the tail membrane at one-fourth to onethird its length. Calcar about two times as long as foot; tail membrane extends that much beyond toes when stretched. Underparts slightly paler or more chestnut than upperparts. Variation. Blackish and chestnut colors occur in the same populations. Similar species. Least sac-winged bats (Balantiopteryx spp.) and doglike sacwinged bats (Peropteryx spp.) have a tuft of fur on crown that ends abruptly at naked face and brown wings; they have gray tones or are chocolate-brown, respectively. Natural history. Feeds aerially on tiny insects. These bats live in the forest and forage in the forest undercanopy. They roost under logs, especially logs over streams, or inside hollow logs or trees. Found in lowland rainforest. Geographic range. Central and South America: central Nicaragua south through Panama; South America east of the Andes in the Amazon Basin from Peru to Para, and Columbia, Venezuela, and the Guianas. To about 1,000 m elevation. Status. Sometimes common; widespread. Least Sac-winged Bats Balantiopteryx spp. Plate B, map 35 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4553; T = 12-21; HF = 6-11; E = 1116; FA = 35-46; WT = 5—8 g; females larger than males. Upperparts dark brown, smoky brown, or gray. Crown with tuft of fur that ends abruptly on naked face. Muzzle broad and triangular; ear broadly triangular, round at tip. Wing and tail membranes brown; tail membrane reaching only slightly beyond tip of foot, calcar only slightly longer than foot; edge of wing may be white between leg and fingers. Sac in center of propatagium, opening facing toward body, well developed in males, rudimentary in females. Underparts the same as back, or slightly paler. Species. There are three species: B. plicata has a white rear-wing margin and is smoky to gray; B. io is dark brown; and B. infusca is dark chestnut-brown. Similar species. See doglike (Peropteryx spp.) and chestnut (Cormura brevirostris) sac-winged bats. Natural history. Feeds aerially on tiny insects. Natural history well known only for B. plicata. Least sac-winged bats roost in small to large colonies in well-lighted parts of caves, rock crevices, culverts, or tree hollows. The roosting bats space themselves about 20 cm apart. B. plicata occupies dry forest and arid habitats, where it Map 35 forages with slow flight in long, unbroken sallies at 15-25 m above the surface of the ground or forest canopy. It may forage singly, or several may use overlapping beats. B. io and B. infusca are found in rainforest; their habits are undescribed. Geographic range. Central and South America: B. plicata from the tip of Baja, and S Sonora, Mexico, to Costa Rica; B. io from Veracruz, Mexico, to Guatemala and Belize; and B. infusca only from the NW coast of Ecuador west of the Andes. To at least 1,500 m elevation. Status. B. plicata is widespread and sometimes common; B. infusca may be rare. References. Arroyo-Cabrales, J., and J. K. Jones, Jr. 1988. Balantiopteryx plicata. Mammalian Species, no. 301. Bradbury, J., and S. L. Vehrencamp. 1976. Social organization and foraging in emballonurid bats. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 1:337-81. Ghost Bats Diclidurus spp. Plates B, 5, map 36 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5579; T = 17-26; HF = 10-14; E = 1323; FA ~ 53-71; WT = 12-23 g; females larger than males. There are two color patterns: (1) Upperparts pure white, or white with gray hair base showing through; underparts white with gray hair base showing through; wings and tail membrane translucent, without pigment, yellowish, bones pale brown; or (2) forequarters white, lightly frosted with pale brown, hindquarters Bats (Chiroptera) 49 Map 36 pale brown, hair white at base; underparts white tinged with gray-brown, hairs brown at base; wings and tail membrane pale brown, semitransparent. All have the following: ear short and rounded, lower edge extending forward in a flange to below the eye, upper edge extending as a membrane partially across the forehead; thumb enclosed in the wing membrane, with only the claw emerging; no wing sac, tail membrane with prominent, brown sacs around tail near tip, these most highly developed in males; fur long and silky. Species. There are four species: D. scutatus, D. ingens, and D. albus have color pattern (1); they differ in size. D. isabellus has color pattern (2) and is sometimes placed in a separate genus (Depanycteris). Similar species. Honduran white bats (Ectophylla alba) are the only other white bats in the region; they are much smaller (5-6 g) and have a noseleaf. Sounds. Emits a musical twittering while in flight. Natural history. Ghost bats fly high in open spaces, such as above rivers, streams, and lagoons, and probably above the forest canopy. They are attracted to concentrations of insects around high floodlights and are among the many species swooping around such lights, even in towns. Their roosts are not well known; they have been found in abandoned towers. D. albus roosts between the leaves of palms. D. isabellus is known only from lowland rainforest habitat (over water); D. scutatus oc- 50 Species Accounts curs only in the rainforest region. The other species are found in rainforest, dry forest, plantations, and towns. Geographic range. Central and South America: only D. albus in Central America, from Nayarit, Mexico, south down the coast to N Peru, and the Amazon Basin of Brazil, to Bahia; D. scutatus and D. ingens in the Amazon basins of Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, NE Peru, and the Guianas; D. isabellus is known only from the Amazon Basin of Venezuela and a small part of adjacent Brazil. All geographic ranges poorly known, from few, scattered records. Status. The high roosting and flying behavior of these bats makes detecting them extremely difficult, and it is not possible to say if they are common or rare. Local names. Murcielago bianco (or albino) (Span); jumbie bat (Tr). References. Ceballos, G., and R. A. Medellfn. 1988. Diclidurus albus. Mammalian Species, no. 316. Smoky Bat Cyttarops alecto Map 37 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5055; T = 20-25; HF = 8; E = 10-13; FA = 45.8-47. Upperparts dull, dark, smoky gray, almost black, palest on upper back and shoulders; wings and tail membranes black; fur long and silky. Ear short and rounded, with margins as in ghost bats; tragus with a distinct projection on lower, outer margin; nostrils tubelike and slightly diverging; face thickly furred down center to above nose, almost naked on side Map 37 from ear to nose. No glandular sacs on wings or tail. Underparts like back. Similar species. White-lined sac-winged bats (Saccopteryx spp.) have white lines on back; doglike (Peropteryx spp.) and least (Balantiopteryx) sac-winged bats have longer, more pointed ears, brown wings, and a naked face with a tuft on crown. Natural history. Smoky sac-winged bats have been found roosting in groups of one to four under fronds of coconut palms near buildings, and flying in an oil-palm grove and in a garden. Geographic range. Central and South America: known only from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guyana, and near Belem, Brazil. Status. This is one of the rarest bats, known from fewer than 20 individuals from five lowland rainforest localities. References: Starrett, A. 1972. Cyttarops alecto. Mammalian Species, no. 13. Bulldog Bats (Noctilionidae) Dental formula: 11/1, Cl/1, Pl/2, M3/3 = 28. This small family derives its name from the distinctive, bulldoglike face, with downcurved, drooping lips and jowls that expose large canine teeth. The characteristics of the family are described below. The family includes one genus and two species restricted to the Neotropics and subtropics. Bulldog or Fishing Bats Noctilio spp. Plates B, 5, map 38 Identification. Measurements: HB 64109; T = 14-37; HF = 16-39; E = 2231; FA = 60-88; WT = 19-88 g; males larger than females. Upperparts bright rust-orange, rust-red, chestnut-brown, dull tawny brown, or silvery gray; midback with a single pale stripe from neck or shoulder to rump; sides of neck often paler, more yellowish; fur extremely short, sides of lower back naked (wings attach high on sides). Wings Map 38 ( . Bulldog or fishing bats, Noctilio and tail membrane brown, semi transparent. Head with large, forward-pointing nosepad, no noseleaf; lips split near nose and forming downward-drooping, bulldoglike folds that form cheek pouches and expose large canine and pointed upper incisor teeth; ears long, sharp, narrow, forwardslanting. Tail membrane longer than hindlegs; tail shorter than membrane, enclosed within it except for short stub emerging from upper surface. Feet large, robust, toes long, claws large, strongly curved and sharp. Underparts paler than back, rich bright orange to pale orange or pale, tawny brown in brown animals. Species. The lesser bulldog bat (N. albiventris) is smaller (FA = 60-65; WT = 2040 g), with relatively smaller feet; it has an extreme color form of brown frosted with silver or white on the neck and shoulders. The greater bulldog or fishing bat (N. leporinus) is one of the largest New World bats (FA = 77-88; WT = 60-90 g). It has enormous feet, with scimitar-shaped, gafflike claws. The two species have similar, highly variable coloration; some populations include both brown and orange individuals, with males often more orange and females browner, while other populations are more homogeneous. Similar species. All other bats as large as Bats (Chiroptera) 51 bulldog bats have large, prominent, spearshaped noseleaves, or long tails extending well beyond the edge of the tail membrane. Natural history. Feed on insects (both species) and fish (N. leporinus). Bulldog bats usually forage over water, where they can be recognized from a distance by their large size, red color, agile flight, pointed wings, and behavior of dipping their feet and skimming the water as they fly (many species of bats come out at nightfall and drink on the wing, dipping their lower jaw into the water). Both species also forage over dry land. Greater bulldog bats are specialized for fishing: with echolocation they detect fish disturbing the water surface, gaff them with the feet, and transfer them to the mouth. Lesser bulldog bats are insectivorous; they eat many water beetles. They come out just at nightfall and often forage in small flocks of several bats that circle back and forth close to the water surface for a few minutes in one area, then move on to another. Both species roost in large groups in hollow trees; greater bulldog bats also roost in caves and lesser bulldog bats in houses. Usually found around water with a still surface in rainforest, dry forest, coastal marine habitats, marshes, and disturbed habitats such as pastures and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: Pacific coastal Mexico (greater species) or Guatemala (lesser species) south to N Argentina and Uruguay, and Greater and Lesser Antilles. Lowlands only. Status. Both species widespread and often common. Local names. Murcielago pescador (Span); hazemond vleermuis (Su); mbopi pyta (Gua). References. Hood, C. S., and J. Pitocchelli. 1983. Noctilio albiventris. Mammalian Species, no. 197. Hood, C. S., and J. K. Jones, Jr. 1984. Noctilio leporinus. Mammalian Species, no. 216. Leaf-chinned, Mustached, and Naked-backed Bats (Mormoopidae) Dental formula: 12/2, Cl/1, P2/3, M3/3 = 34. These are smallto medium-sized bats with lips expanded into flaring plates and mouth flanked on its upper sides by a mustache of stiff, lorward-pointing hairs. Two "naked-backed" species have wing membranes that 52 Species Accounts are attached along the midline of the back, covering the fur beneath. The lower rim of the ear is prolonged forward as a low membrane to the corner of the mouth. The tail is enclosed in the tail membrane except for its tip, which emerges free about halfway down the membrane. The calcar is about twice as long as the foot, and the tail membrane is longer than the legs. These bats emit their echolocation calls through the mouth, with the enlarged lips acting as a megaphone. They are strong, fast flyers, with long narrow wings. All species seem to roost in dark, warm, humid caves, and their local distributions may be limited by the availability of appropriate roost sites. There are two genera and 810 species in the New World tropics and subtropics. Mustached and Naked-backed Bats Pteronotus spp. Plates B, 5, map 39 Identification. Measurements: HB = 38— 80; T = 16-28; HF = 8-17; E = 1220; FA = 35-56; WT = 3-28 g. Upperparts rust-orange, gold-orange, gold-brown, smoky brown, tawny brown, or gray-brown. Back either naked, covered by wing membranes to behind shoulders, or with sides of lower back "naked" (wings attach high over furry sides); fur on lower back short, velvety, and fur on neck, throat, and shoulders longer, often paler, forming a paler collar. Face with lips flared out forward in meaty plates, lower lip with small round tubercules; muzzle with stiff, forwardpointing mustaches above; ear narrow, pointed, flared into funnel at base, pointing forward; eye small, sometimes almost lost in fur, surrounded by ear funnel. Tail membrane longer than legs, tail tip emerging freely from middle of top surface of membrane. Underparts usually paler than back, silver, yellowish, beige, orange, or gray, fur on belly dark at base. Species. There are about six species; two have naked backs: P. davyi (FA = 41-49; WT = 6-11 g) and P. gymnonotus (FA = 49-56; WT = 12-16 g). The two furry-backed mainland species can also be separated by size: P. parnellii (FA = 4965; WT = 11-28 g) and P. personatus (FA = 40-47; WT = 6-9 g). Two small species, P. macleayii and P. quadridens, are found only in Cuba and Jamaica, and one of them also in Haiti and Puerto Rico. In all species there is much color variation both within and sometimes between populations. Some variation may be due to length of time since the last molt, the fur bleaching with age. Similar species. Lesser bulldog bats (Noctilio albiventris) have the upper lip split Map 39 from below the nose and a pale stripe on back. Natural history. All mustached bats are aerial insectivores. They often forage over water, up and down forest trails, or in clearings and plantations. They roost in warm, humid caves in colonies of up to thousands. At roost they hang free by their hind feet, back rounded, in tight clusters of individuals in direct contact. Rarely they are found in other types of roosts such as old buildings, culverts, or tree hollows. Their scarcity in the central Amazon Basin may be due to the lack of caves and rocks. The naked-backed species are said to be agile at running and hopping quadrupedally on the ground, on feet and folded wings. In rainforest and deciduous forest, clearings and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: Mexico south to N Bolivia, the base of the Andes and N coast of South America through the Guianas, generally absent from the central Amazon Basin. Large Caribbean islands. To 3,000 m elevation. Status. Often common, especially P. parnellii. Bats (Chiroptera) 53 References. Herd, R. M. 1983. Pteronotus parnellii. Mammalian Species, no. 209. Silva, G. 1979. Los murcielagos de Cuba. Havana: Editorial Academia. Leaf-chinned Bat Mormoops megalophylla Plate B, map 40 Identification. Measurements: HB = 6176; T = 19-31; HF = 10-13; E = 1317; FA = 51-59; WT = 12-20 g. Upperparts chestnut, chocolate-brown, tawny yellow-brown, pink-beige, or mouse gray; fur long; base of neck between shoulders with stiff, straight, back-slanting hair often contrasting pale yellow, pink, or pale brown; area behind ears this same color; fur on neck sometimes sparse, emphasizing shoulder crest. Face with complex skin folds: chin with two large concave plates connected to a series of folds below and beside chin; nostrils set wide apart in short tubes, side of nose with folds; ears short, rounded, connected by a large fold across forehead that is deeply notched on midline, inside of ear with complex, deep folds; lower edge of ear extending forward in a fold to corner of mouth; eye medium-sized, surrounded by ear funnel. Tail membrane longer than legs, tail enclosed within it, with only tip emerging. Underparts paler than back, buffy yellow, pink-brown, or reddish, fur long. Body long and slender. Variation. Color varies greatly between populations. Another species, M. blainvillei, is found only in the Greater Antilles; it is smaller (FA = 43-50; WT = 6-11 g). Similar species. Wrinkle-faced bats (Centurio senex) and vampires (Desmodus, DiMap 40 phylla spp.) have simple, upstanding ears without complex folds. Natural history. Feeds on insects. Leafchinned bats often forage over water. They roost in deep caves, where they hang singly, separated from their neighbors, in colonies of up to several thousand, but usually of only a few individuals. They seem to be nomadic. Chiefly found in arid habitats, rarely in rainforest. Geographic range. North, Central, and South America: S Texas and Arizona south through Honduras; absent from the Isthmus of Panama and present in NE Colombia, N Venezuela, Trinidad, and W coastal Ecuador and Peru. Status. Generally uncommon, rarely in large numbers. References. Barbour, R. W., and W. H. Davis. 1969. Bats of America. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. Smith, J. D. 1972. Systematics of the chiropteran family Mormoopidae. Univ. Kan. Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ., no. 56. Leaf-nosed Bats (Phyllostomidae) Dental formula highly variable. In most genera, the nostrils are surrounded by a fleshy fold that has a dishlike horseshoe below and/or beside the nostrils and a freestanding, spear-shaped leaf above and behind the nostrils. These structures act as a horn or megaphone to focus the echolocation sounds, which are emitted through the nostrils (although the bats can emit them through the mouth also). The point of the chin usually has a naked, V-shaped groove, often bordered by an array of warts or tubercules. The wings are broad in outline, so that the bats are able to maintain flight at slow speeds, and they can maneuver among thick vegetation. Leaf-nosed bats represent one of the largest living radiations of mammals. They have evolved a great diversity of specialized feeding habits 54 Species Accounts and associated morphological adaptations and social behaviors. They give birth to single young. The family is restricted to the New World and includes about 50 genera and 140 species, mostly in the tropics, with a few species reaching temperate North America. The family is treated by subfamilies below. Members of a subfamily generally have similar food habits. Spear-nosed Bats (Subfamily Phyllostominae) The spear-nosed bats range from the largest New World bats to some of the smallest. They all have large, spearor sword-shaped noseleaves with a free horseshoe at least partially around the nostrils; narrow muzzles; long tail membranes; tail enclosed within the membrane except for the extreme tip, which may protrude on the top of the membrane; and usually large to very large ears. The colors of many species are variable, with brown, chestnut, and rust-orange individuals found in the same roosts or populations. Among greater spear-nosed bats in Trinidad, some individuals are orange when young and change to dark brown when they are several years old, while other young in the same social group and presumably with the same father are brown. The spear-nosed bats include all genera of leaf-nosed bats that are true carnivores and kill vertebrate prey; they also include the most strongly insectivorous genera, as well as mixed feeders that eat both insects and fruit. The subfamily includes 10 genera and about 33 species in the New World tropics and subtropics; 9 genera and about 31 species are found in the lowland rainforest region; one genus is restricted to arid habitats. Recent evidence suggests that the genera in this subfamily are not all closely related and should probably be split into a least two groups. Little Big-eared Bats Micronycteris spp. Plate C, map 41 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4688; T = 5-16; HF = 8-20; E = 13-31; FA = 32-58; WT = 4-30 g. Generally, ears very large, usually rounded, tragus short; noseleaf medium-sized, spear-shaped; face and muzzle narrow; naked chin tip with single, long, smooth pads on each side angled to a Vor Yshape; eyes small; fur long and slightly wavy; face hairy; thumb with first joint equal to or longer than second joint; tail short, enclosed in tail membrane except for tip, which protrudes slightly on top surface; tail membrane the same length as or shorter than legs; calcar about one half to one times the length of hindfoot; size small, with one exception. There are four pelage patterns: (1) Upperparts plain brown to chestnut or orange, long hair on shoulders with long white base that shows prominently through parts in fur; ears often with a low membrane partly or entirely joining bases across forehead; ear hairy, with long hairs on back or both surfaces; underparts like back or contrasting white, silvery, beige, yellowish, or orMap 41 I 1 Little big-eared bats, Micronycteris ange; hair on throat pale to base. Size small (4-16 g). (2) Upperparts chestnut to pale brown or gray-brown, hairs look unicolor, lower back sometimes with faint gray stripe; underparts slightly paler whitish or yellowish. Ears not hairy on back except on base. (3) Upperparts dark brown, hairs on shoulder prominently tricolor, dark brown at base and tip, with broad, paler tawny or silvery midsection; underparts paler tawny yellow or graybrown, hairs dark at base. Ears not hairy. (4) Upperparts uniform gray-brown, underparts paler; fur long, dense and woolly; ears slightly hairy; size large (FA > 50; WT = 19-30 g). Species. There are about 10 species, 5-6 of them have color pattern (1); M. nicefori has pattern (2); M. sylvestris has pattern (3); M. (Barticonycteris) davesi (plate C), the only large member of the genus, has pattern (4). Similar species. Short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia spp.) have shorter, triangular ears and chin-tip V bordered by row of tubercules; Mexican big-eared bats from arid habitats (Macrotis, not treated in this book), with color pattern (1), have long tails that extend all the way to the end of the tail membrane and beyond it; roundeared bats (Tonatia spp.) and all other similar-looking bats have rows of round tubercules on chin. Natural history. These bats feed on large insects and occasionally fruit, but there is little information about most species. Some species seem to forage by gleaning large insects such as cockroaches, dragonflies, and katydids from the vegetation, and they carry their prey back to a feeding roost before eating. Several species are deep rainforest inhabitants; they tend to fly along streams, gullies, and paths well shaded by the forest canopy. Big-eared bats roost in small groups, often a half-dozen or fewer, in damp hollows near the ground. These may be hollow logs or trees, cavities under roots, fallen logs, or overhanging dirt banks, and culverts. The roosts are often well enough lit so that the bats can be seen without a flashlight. They hang freely suspended and spaced apart and always seem alert. They twist and turn and vibrate their large ears and will readily take flight if disturbed. Found in many habitats including mature and disturbed rainforest, gallery forest, dry forest, cloud forest, and gardens and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: S Mexico south to N Bolivia and SE Brazil. All but two species are found in both Central and South America. To 2,000 m elevation. Status. Three species are apparently rare: M. davesi, M. pusilla, and M. behni, the latter two with restricted distribution. References. Wilson, D. E. 1971. Food Bats (Chiroptera) 55 Map 42 habits of Micronycteris hirsuta (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Mammalia 35:107-10. Medellfn, R. A., D. E. Wilson, and D. Navarro L. 1985. Micronycteris brachyotis. Mammalian Species, no. 251. Sword-nosed Bats Lonchorhina spp. Plate C, map 42 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4974; T = 46-63; HF = 9-20; E = 1938; FA = 41-59; WT = 8-32 g. Upperparts dark brown, chestnut, rust-red, or pale beige; neck and shoulders often paler, with hair pale at base; fur deep and plushy. Noseleaf extremely long (18-22 mm) and narrow, about as long as ears, with smooth edges; folds around nostrils at base complex; ears very large, pointed, hairy inside and out on upper edge, wide at base, with lower rim extending as a fold to below eye; tragus very long and narrow, pointed, at least half the length of ear. Legs very long, tail membrane longer than legs; tail long, reaches rear edge of tail membrane, which forms a point at tail tip. Species. There are four species: L. aurita is widespread and geographically variable; it is large, (FA = 47-54; WT = 12-22 g) and dark brown to rust. The other species have restricted distributions—L. orinocensis is small (FA = 41-44; WT = 7-10g) and pale brown; L. fernandezi is small (FA — 42-43), with shorter ears (E = 19) and stiletto-shaped processes at base of noseleaf; and L. marinkellei is large (FA = 59), with large ears (E = 38). 56 Species Accounts Similar species. No other bats in the region have as large a noseleaf; hairy-nosed bats (Mimon spp.) have noseleaf about onefourth to one-third shorter than ear and tail only half as long as the tail membrane. Natural history. Feed on insects and some fruit. Common sword-nosed bats (L. aurita) roost in dense clusters of up to hundreds in caves and old tunnels, such as mine tunnels. Orinoco sword-nosed bats (L. orinocensis) have been found in large rock piles in hot grassland habitat. Three of the four species were only recently discovered and were first described between 1971 and 1982; these all have small known geographic ranges. Found in rainforest, deciduous forest, and plantations, pastures, and savanna. Geographic range. Central and South America: L. aurita from S Mexico to N Bolivia and SE Brazil; L. orinocensis from the Colombian-Venezuelan Orinoco drainage; L. fernandezi and L. marinkellei from single localities in the Venezuelan and Colombian Amazon regions, respectively. Status. Widespread to rare: L. fernandezi is currently known from a single cave. References. Ochoa, J., and C. Ibanez. 1982. Nuevo murcielago del genero Lonchorhina (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Mem. Soc. Cien. Nat. La Salle 42 (118): 145-59. Long-legged Bat Macrophyllum macrophyllum Plate C, map 43 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4053; T = 38-49; HF = 13-16; E = 1720; FA = 34 -40; WT = 7-11 g. Upperparts plain medium brown; wings and tail membranes brown; fur medium length. Ears quite large, pointed, slightly hairy on upper rim. lower rim not prolonged downward and forward as a fold on head; noseleaf a large, broad spear with prominent central rib, horseshoe at base of noseleaf broad, with expanded lobe behind nostrils; eyes small. Legs and tail membrane long, membrane with a distinctive row of about seven vertical lines of dots each leading to a bump on the straight, rear edge of the tail membrane; tail long, enclosed in membrane and reaching its edge, but not forming a longer point; calcar about two times as Map 43 long as foot. Foot with elongate toes and claws. Underparts about the same color as back. Similar species. These are the only bats with parallel rows of dots on the edge of the tail membrane. Little big-eared bats (Micronycteris spp.), short-tailed and little fruit bats (Carollia, Rhinophylla spp.), and hairy-nosed bats (Mimon spp.) have tails much shorter than membrane, or no tail; sword-nosed bats (Lonchorhina) have greatly elongated noseleaf and tragus. Natural history. Long-legged bats feed on insects, including water striders. They may use their long toes and tail membranes to skim insects from the water surface. These bats are usually found near water and roost singly or in small groups in wet tunnels, culverts, under bridges, and in caves and abandoned buildings. Chiefly found in rainforest and rainforest clearings, sometimes in deciduous forest. Geographic range. Central and South America: extreme S Mexico south to NE Bolivia, Paraguay, and SE Brazil. Status. Usually uncommon, but very widespread. References. Harrison, D. L. 1975. Macrophyllum macrophyllum. Mammalian Species, no. 62. Round-eared Bats Tonatia spp. Plate C, map 44 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5495; T = 7-25; HF = 10-19; E = 1938; FA = 33-59; WT = 8-40 g. Upperparts usually gray-brown faintly Bats (Chiroptera) 57 Map 44 frosted with silver, or warm brown, rarely rusty or dark, ashy gray frosted white; fur on neck pale at base; fur long and soft, not very dense. Ears very large, rounded, usually hairy on base of back and upper edge; noseleaf large, broad, spear-shaped; naked tip of chin with U of tiny round tubercules. Thumb often hairy, with second, claw-bearing phalange longer than first phalange. Tail membrane longer than legs; tail less than half the length of membrane, within it except for extreme tip, which protrudes above. Feet and claws robust, not elongated. Underparts often washed with silver, often with pale collar on neck. Small to large size. Species. There are 5-10 species; up to 5 can occur together in South America. The more distinctive species include: T. bidens. large (FA = 55-59). with hairy face, feet, thumb, forearm, and ears; T. silvicola, large (FA = 50-59), face naked, usually with a white throat, lays its ears entirely back against the crown when they are touched; T. carrikeri. large with pure white underparts; T. schulzi, medium, with distinctive warty skin on forearms; and T. brasiliensis, small (FA = 33-40), warm brown. The latter is divided by some into as many as 5 species. Similar species. The small species are very similar to little big-eared bats (Micronycteris spp.), which have single chin pads in a V, not round tubercules, and first joint of the thumb equal to or longer than the second. Hairy-nosed bats (Mimon spp.) and spear-nosed bats (Phyllostomus spp.) have pointed ear tips. Natural history. Round-eared bats feed on insects and perhaps occasional fruit. They seem to fly everywhere within the forest. Several species, including T. silvicola with its peculiar folding ears and the small T. brasiliensis, roost in small groups of up to 10 in holes in arboreal termite nests. T. bidens roosts in tree hollows. Surprisingly little is known of these common bats. Found in mature and secondary rainforest, or more rarely deciduous forest and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: extreme S Mexico south to N Argentina and Paraguay. Status. Common to extremely rare (T. schulzi). References. Genoways, H. H., and S. L. Williams. 1980. Results of the Alcoa Foundation-Suriname expeditions. I. A new species of bat of the genus Tonatia (Mammalia: Phyllostomatidae). Ann. Carnegie Mus. 49:203-11. Hairy-nosed Bats Mimon spp. Plates C, 5, map 45 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5275; T = 14-29; HF = 9-18; E = 2438; FA = 46-58; WT = 10-15 g. Ears large and pointed, thickly haired with pale hair on back of base and with some long hairs on both sides of upper edge; tragus narrow and pointed; noseleaf very long, narrow, spear-shaped, with simple basal horseshoe; tail reaches about halfway down tail membrane, tip just perforates top side; tail membrane longer than legs, calcar longer than foot; foot with long toes and claws; medium size. There are two color patterns: (1) upperparts dark, blackish brown with a pale stripe down midback from crown to rump, wings and tail membrane blackish; sides of noseleaf serrated, noseleaf thinly haired to tip; underparts frosted silvery buff, washed orange around throat; and (2) pale, warm brown, hairs pale at base, fur long and dense, wing and tail membrane brown; noseleaf not hairy, smooth on sides, underparts about the same as back, slightly paler on neck (FA = 53-58; E = 35-38). Species. There are three or four species: M. crenulatum has color pattern (1); it is 70 Species Accounts Map 60 Yellow-shouldered or Hairy-legged Fruit Bats Sturnira spp. Plate E, map 60 Identification. Measurements: HB = 54101; T = 0; HF = 7-21; E = 15-22; FA = 39-62; WT = 13-67 g. Upperparts gray, pale brown, or yellowbrown; fur conspicuously tricolored, frosted with dark hair tips overlying silver or pale beige, hair base dark; shoulders and sometimes neck of adults stained yellow to orange with secretion from glands, hair sometimes stuck together with thick, dark secretion; yellow shoulders usually most prominent on large males. Muzzle short, broad; noseleaf a short, broad spear, not reaching beyond eye when flattened against muzzle; ear short, triangular; eye quite large. Tail absent; tail membrane virtually absent, reduced to a narrow band; feet and inner side of legs very hairy; thumb long and robust. Underparts gray, or gray-brown, like pale part of dorsal fur. Medium to large robust, roly-poly woolly looking bats with large heads, thick necks, burly bodies, and short, strong, hairy legs. Species. There are about 12 species; 6 occupy lowland and montane rainforest; the others are mostly montane in the N Andes. Species are mainly distinguished by features of the teeth and are difficult to identify in the hand. Similar species. Vampires (Desmodus spp., Diphylla) do not have spear-shaped noseleaves; other hairy-legged bats with no tail membranes have facial stripes or long, narrow muzzles. Natural history. Feed on fruit and nectar; especially fond of the nectar of banana flowers. These bats are often common, but little is known about them. They seem most numerous in open spaces in the forest such as gardens, clearings, streams, and edges. Their normal roosts are unknown and are probably somewhere high in the forest canopy (or they would have been discovered). Rarely they have been found in caves, hollow trees, tunnels, or culverts. The advantage of lack of a tail membrane is seen in a bat in the hand, which can twist and turn its legs and body like a contortionist. It seems likely that yellowshouldered bats are adapted for clambering around quadrupedally among flowers and fruits. Found in lowland and montane rainforest, deciduous forest, cloud forest, gardens, and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: central Mexico south to Uruguay. To at least 3,500 m elevation. Status. Common to very rare (S. nana)-, widespread (S. lilium) to restricted (S. aratathomasi, nana). References. Tamsitt, J. R., and C. Haiiser. 1985. Sturnira magna. Mammalian Species, no. 240. Soriano, P. J., and J. Molinari. 1987. Sturnira aratathomasi. Mammalian Species, no. 284. Molinari, J., and P. J. Soriano. 1987. Sturnira bidens. Mammalian Species, no. 276. Tent-making Bats Uroderma spp. Plates E, 6, map 61 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5568; T = 0; HF = 10-15; E = 14-20; FA = 39-47; WT = 14-21 g. Upperparts dark to pale gray or graybrown or beige; fur bicolor, pale at base; midback with prominent white stripe. Face with faint to prominent white stripes above and below eye; muzzle short and broad; noseleaf a large fleshy spear, reaching to eye when pressed back, horseshoe well developed, with a large free flange all the way around base, pale colored on sides where facial stripe ends; ears triangular, cream-colored along side of rim Map 61 by facial stripes, tragus pale; lips and tongue blackish. Tail membrane naked, a deeply notched V. Underparts gray or gray-brown slightly paler or more gray than back. Species. There are two species, both in rainforest: U. bilobatum is dark graybrown, with strong facial stripes; U. magnirostrum is beige, with faint facial stripes, head, neck and shoulders paler than back, and edges of wings translucent. The black tongue fades in preserved specimens. Similar species. White-lined (Vampyrops spp.) and great stripe-faced (Vampyrodes spp.) bats have pink tongues and usually a hairy fringe on the tail membrane; yelloweared bats (Vampyressa spp.) are smaller (FA = 30-37); big-eyed bats (Chiroderma spp.) have fur with a dark band at base. Natural history. Feed on fruit, nectar, and insects. These bats roost under "tents" which they make by cutting a line down each side of the midrib of a large leaf, such as banana, so that the sides droop downward. A small (2-52) group of bats hang in a tight cluster from the midrib of the leaf. Found in mature and disturbed rainforest, gardens and plantations, and deciduous forest. Geographic range. Central and South America: S Mexico south to N Bolivia and SE Brazil. To about 1.000 m elevation. Status. Common (U. bilobatum) or uncommon (U. magnirostrum) and widespread. References. Baker, R. J., and C. L. Bats (Chiroptera) 71 Map 62 Clark. 1987. Uroderma bilobatum. Mammalian Species, no. 279. White-lined Fruit Bats Vampyrops spp. Plate E, map 62 Identification. Measurements: HB = 53103; T = 0; HF = 10-19; E = 15-25; FA = 35-63; WT = 13-63 g. Upperparts blackish brown to warm brown; midback with bright white stripe; shoulders but not top of neck often paler than back; elbows often densely furred; fur without dark band at base. Muzzle short; facial stripes above eyes bright to indistinct, often fading out forward of rear edge of ear; stripes below eye less distinct, often narrow or fainter; noseleaf a large fleshy spear, horseshoe at base broad and with free flange on sides and usually front, sides of horseshoe usually dark, sometimes cream, not bright yellow; ear sometimes with pale rim, usually not; tongue pink. Tail membrane a deeply notched V, very short at center, always fringed with hair; calcar less than half the length of foot. Underparts the same as back, or slightly frosted paler gray or brown. Young like adults. Small to large, robust bats. Species. There are about 10 species; most are found in lowland rainforest. One of the most common and widespread throughout the region is the smallest, V. helleri (FA = 35-40; WT = 13-16 g); it is pale brown. Up to six species can occur in the same area; some are mostly montane. Similar species.' Great stripe-faced bats 72 Species Accounts (Vampyrodes spp.; FA = 45-56) are warm brown, have yellowish sides of horseshoe and lower ears, all facial stripes broad and bright, upper stripes sharp to behind ear, back stripe sharp to base of tail membrane, and elbows thinly haired, but are difficult to distinguish in the field from some species. Most yellow-eared bats (Vampyressa spp.) are smaller, with no fringe of hairs on tail membrane. Big-eyed bats (Chiroderma spp.) have a dark band at base of fur and usually indistinct white stripes. Tentmaking bats (Uroderma spp.) have dark tongues. Natural history. Feed on fruit, nectar, and insects; diets of some species are unknown. These bats roost in small groups of 6-20, probably harems, in caves and in tents they make from palm leaves. Found in mature and disturbed lowland rainforest, gardens, clearings and plantations, cloud forest, deciduous forest, and caatinga. Geographic range. Central and South America: S Mexico south to Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and SE Brazil. Status. CITES Appendix III for V. lineatus (Ur). Common to uncommon, widespread. To about 2,500 m elevation. References. Willig, M. R., and R. H. Hollander. 1987. Vampyrops lineatus. Mammalian Species, no. 275. Gardner, A. L., and D. C. Carter. 1972. A review of the Peruvian species of Vampyrops (Chiroptera, Phyllostomatidae). J. Mammal. 53:72-84. Great Stripe-faced Bats Vampyrodes spp. Plate E, map 63 Identification. Measurements: HB = 7380; T = 0; HF = 12-17; E = 20-25; FA = 45-57; WT = 28-38 g. Upperparts warm cinnamon-brown, neck and shoulders paler than back, midback with sharp, bright white line from between ears to end of rump; elbows thinly furred; fur pale at base. Muzzle very broad, U-shaped; noseleaf a large fleshy spear; white stripes above and below eye broad and distinct, expanding posteriorly to almost coalesce behind ear, stripes reach rear edge of ear; ear rim, tragus, and side of noseleaf pale to bright yellow; lips and tongue pink. Tail membrane a deeply notched V, very narrow at center of Map 63 f I Great stripe-faced bats, Vampyrodes body, fringed with hair; calcar less than half the length of foot. Underparts graybrown. Young like adults. Large, brightly striped, brown bats. Species. Two species are usually recognized: V. caraccioli from South America and V. major from Central America; they are very similar and perhaps conspecific. Similar species. White-lined bats (Vampyrops spp.), if brown, are usually smaller, with stripes less distinct, rims of ear and horseshoe whitish or gray, elbows often thickly furred; yellow-eared bats (Vampyressa spp.) are all much smaller; big-eyed bats (Chiroderma spp.) have dark band at base of fur and usually indistinct stripes; tent-making bats (Uroderma spp.) have no hairy fringe on tail membrane and black tongues; other Neotropical fruit bats do not have back stripe. Natural history. Feed on fruit, especially figs. Great stripe-faced bats roost in small groups of two to four in foliage and under palm leaves; the leaves are not modified to form a tent, but few roosts have been reported. Found in lowland rainforest and in gardens and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: S Mexico south to N Bolivia and the S Amazon Basin of Brazil. To about 1,000 m elevation. Status. Sometimes common, widespread. Big-eyed Bats Chiroderma spp. Plate E, map 64 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5382; T = 0; HF = 10-15; E = 16-21; Map 64 FA = 38-52; WT = 13-26 g. Upperparts brown to gray brown; fur with distinct dark band at base especially on lower back; midback with sharp, faint, or no white line. Muzzle short and very broad, noseleaf with wide, flaredout sides in leaf shape, horseshoe with free flange around all of base; middle upper incisor teeth long, narrow, with simple points; eyes large; ears with rims or base and sides of noseleaf yellow or brown; facial stripes strong to indistinct, most ending forward of ear, rarely to middle of ear; tongue pink. Tail membrane slightly hairy above, without hairy fringe, quite long at center, calcar about threefourths of length of foot. Underparts graybrown. Young like adults. Species. Three of the five species are found in the rainforest region; two or three can occur together: C. trinitatum is the smallest (FA = 38-43; WT = 13-15 g) and has a middorsal stripe; C. salvini is large (FA = 46-52) and has large, bright facial stripes; C. villosum is large (FA = 4450) and has indistinct facial stripes; C. doriae occupies deciduous forest in SE Brazil. Similar species. Yellow-shouldered bats have no tail membrane and no stripes; no other striped bats of this size have a dark band at base of hair (see yellow-eared bats). Natural history. Feed on fruit, especially figs. C. villosum roosts in tree hollows; roosts of the other species are apparently unrecorded. Found in mature and disturbed rainforest, gardens, and plantations. Bats (Chiroptera) 73 Map 65 Geographic range. Central and South America: S Mexico south to Bolivia and the S Amazon Basin of Brazil. C. trinitatum and C. villosum from Central America to South America east of the Andes; C. salvini to west of the Andes. To 2,200 m elevation. Status. All species common to uncommon and widespread except C. doriae and C. improvisum (Guadeloupe), which are geographically restricted and rare. Yellow-eared Bats Vampyressa spp. Map 65 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4562; T = 0; HF = 7-12; E = 11-18; FA = 29-39; WT = 7-16 g. Upperparts gray-brown to tawny or cinnamon-brown, sometimes slightly frosted; neck and shoulders paler; fur with faint (like a shadow) to distinct dark band at base; midback with or without white stripe; wings and tail membrane brown, usually pale on forward edge. Muzzle short and broad; noseleaf a large fleshy spear, horseshoe with complete free flange around base; rims and base of ears, tragus, and sides of noseleaf bright yellow; white facial stripes distinct, stripes above eyes broad, sometimes coalescing above nose, often extending to rear of ear, stripes below eyes fainter; tongue pink; central upper incisors bilobed, much longer than outer incisors. Tail membrane deeply notched, lightly haired above near body, without hairy fringe in bats with middorsal stripe, with slight hairy fringe in center 74 Species Accounts in bats without stripe; calcar less than half the length of foot. Underparts gray-brown little paler than back. Young gray or graybrown. Small, chunky bats. Species. Four of the five species occupy lowland rainforest; the other is montane. Up to three species might occur together. V. pusilla is the only lowland species with no back stripe; it is the smallest (FA = 29-33; WT = 7-8 g) and is tawny brown. The other lowland species are gray-brown, with a back stripe and no hairy fringe on tail membrane (V. brocki, V. nymphaea, V. bidens). Similar species. White-lined bats (Vampyrops spp.) have a bright middorsal stripe, hairy fringe on tail membrane, and fur with no dark band at base; tent-making bats (Uroderma spp.) have blackish tongue and fur with no dark band at base; big-eyed bats (Chiroderma spp.) of this size have facial stripes ending at base of ear; Macconnell's bat (Mesophylla macconnelli) has no facial stripes; dwarf fruit-eating bats (Artibeus spp.) have no middorsal stripe and short facial stripes that end at base or middle of ear. Natural history. Feed on fruit, especially figs; the diet of most species is unrecorded. V. pusilla has been found roosting singly in a tent made from a Philodendron leaf. This is apparently the only record of a roost site for the genus. Found in mature and disturbed rainforest, gardens, and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: S Mexico south to S Peru, the S Amazon Basin of Brazil, and Paraguay and SE Brazil. Status. Most species widespread, uncommon. References. Peterson, R. L. 1968. A new bat of the genus Vampyressa from Guyana, South America, with a brief systematic review of the genus. Roy. Ont. Mus. Life Sci. Contrib., no. 73. Lewis, S. E., and D. E. Wilson. 1987. Vampyressa pusilla. Mammalian Species, no. 292. Macconnell's Bat Mesophylla macconnelli Map 66 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4450; T = 0; HF = 9-11; E = 12-15; FA = 29-33; WT = 7-9 g. Map 66 Head and shoulders pale whitish beige, back pale beige; no white stripes on head or body. Wings gray-brown, wrist, distal forearm, and thumb yellow; skin on forearm with tiny pale speckles. Noseleaf yellow, a narrow spear, horseshoe with complete free flange at base; ears all yellow or pale beige toward tip; eyes large, sometimes with dark smudge in front of corner. Tail membrane short, semitransparent, naked, calcar less than half the length of foot. Underparts pale whitish beige, palest on throat. Tiny, delicate bats. Variation. This species is close to and may belong in the genus Vampyressa; it is sometimes placed in the genus Ectophylla, to which it does not seem closely related. Similar species. Little yellow-eared bats {Vampyressa pusilla) are similar but have facial stripes, gray wrists and thumbs, and a slight fringe of hair in center edge of tail membrane; dwarf fruit-eating bats {Artibeus [Dermanura]) usually have facial stripes and gray thumb and are usually uniform gray or brown. Natural history. Macconnell's bats have been found roosting in a hollow tree, and a group of three was roosting under a tent made from a single, broad palm leaf about 150 cm high. The leaf had been cut in a broad V from its opposite edges to the midrib. Found in mature and disturbed lowland rainforest. Geographic range. Central and South America: Costa Rica south to N Bolivia and the S Amazon Basin of Brazil. To about 1,000 m elevation. Status. Uncommon and widespread. Bats (Chiroptera) 75 Map 67 Map 68 j 1 Honduran white bat. Ectophylla alba |;ill Fruit-eating bats. Artibeus References. Gardner, A. L. 1977. Chromosomal variation in Vampyressa and a review of chromosomal evolution of the Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera). Syst. Zool. 26:300-318. Honduran White Bat Ectophylla alba Plate 6, map 67 Identification. Measurements: HB = 3747; T = 0; HF = 9-10; E = 14-15; FA = 26-30; WT = 4-6 g. Head and shoulders white, grading to gray-white on midback and pale brownish white on lower back; wings blackish brown except forearms and thumbs yellow, propatagium translucent. Face with dafk smudge from corner of eye to nose; noseleaf bright yellow, a narrow, large spear, horseshoe with free flange entirely around base; ears bright yellow; eyes large, blackish. Tail membrane naked, semitransparent, short; calcar less than half as long as foot. Throat white; belly pale gray or graybrown. Tiny, delicate bats. Similar species. Ghost bats {Diclidurus spp.) have white ears and no noseleaf and are larger; there are no other white bats in the region. Natural history. Roosts in groups of one to six under tents made from large, horizontal, bananalike leaves of platanillos {Heliconia spp). The bats bite the leaf along each side of the midrib until the sides fold down to form a shelter. Found in mature, disturbed, and secondary rainforest and plantations of trees. Geographic range. Central America: Honduras and Nicaragua south to Panama, mostly in the Caribbean lowlands only. Status. Unknown; rare and potentially threatened by deforestation. References. Timm, R. M. 1982. Ectophylla alba. Mammalian Species, no. 166. Timm, R. M., and J. Mortimer. 1976. Selection of roost sites by Honduran white bats, Ectophylla alba (Chiroptera: Phyllostomatidae). Ecology 57:385-89. Large Fruit-eating Bats Artibeus spp. Plates E, 6, map 68 Identification. Measurements: HB = 70130; T = 0; HF = 12-21; E = 18-28; FA = 48-75; WT = 25-86 g. Upperparts almost black to gray or brown; fur pale at base or unicolor; wings and tail membrane black in gray or black animals, brown in brown; no white stripe on midback. Head large and powerful; four pale facial stripes usually present, sometimes absent, stripes below eye often indistinct or absent, upper stripes end at level of ear; muzzle short, broad; upper tooth rows horseshoeshaped; tongue black; noseleaf a broad fleshy spear, reaches to rear corner of eye or beyond when pressed back; horseshoe either with free flange all around base or only at sides, usually blackish, with pale edges in brown species; eyes large, dark brown; ears medium-sized, triangular, tragus and lower rims pale or whole ear dark gray; chin with V-shaped row of small tubercules with pad in center; central incisors short, bilobed. Tail membrane usu- 76 Species Accounts ally short to very short at center, Uor Vshaped. Thickset, large, muscular bats that bite fiercely when handled. Species. There are about nine species, all but one in lowland rainforest (the dozen small species are described in the following account). Up to four species can occur together. The most common include: A. jamaicensis, large (50-60 g) dark brown to dark gray, fur slightly frosted, with distinct pale band at base, facial stripes distinct but faint; A. lituratus, very large (50-86 g) brown, wings brown, facial stripes broad and bright (these two species are among the most common bats throughout the Neotropical rainforest); A. obscurus. large (40 g), rich blackish to dark chocolate, fur long, only slightly paler at base, or unicolor, facial stripes faint; A. hirsutus, medium (24—30 g) pale gray with long fur, faint facial stripes, hairy tail membrane. There is disagreement about how many species are represented in this group and what to call them. Similar species. Big-eyed bats (Chiroderma spp.) have a distinct dark band at base of fur, long, narrow, single-lobed middle upper incisors, a pink tongue, and usually a middorsal stripe; spear-nosed bats (Phyllostomus spp.) have tails. Natural history. Feed mainly on fruit, especially figs, nectar, and insects. Large fruit-eating bats are some of the most important dispersers of seeds into early successional forest. Jamaican fruit bats (A. jamaicensis) are often the most common bats in the forest, along with common short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia spp.). They fly low in the understory and use trails as fly ways. When encountered as they fly to a feeding roost carrying a fruit, they may drop the fruit in surprise, seeming to throw it toward the observer as they veer sharply to avoid collision. Fruit-eating bats roost in small groups in hollow trees and branches, among dense foliage, under palm leaves, in caves, or occasionally in buildings, and at least one species sometimes uses tents made from leaves. A. jamaicensis groups consist of harems of one male and several females that prefer to roost in tiny tree hollows, and groups of bachelor males that roost in foliage or tents. In caves, many harems may roost close together. Found in mature and secondary rainforest and deciduous forest, gardens, and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: central Mexico south to Paraguay and N Argentina. Status. Widespread and common. References. Owen, R. D. (1987). Phylogenetic analyses of the bat subfamily Stenodermatinae (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Spec. Pub. Mus. Texas Tech., no. 26. Morrison, D. W. 1978. Foraging ecology and energetics of the frugivorous bat Artibeus jamaicensis. Ecology 59:716-23. Dwarf Fruit-eating Bats Artibeus (Dermanura) spp. Map 68 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4769; T = 0; HF = 9-14; E - 16-20; FA = 34-52; WT = 10-22 g. Up per parts usually gray or gray-brown, sometimes pale brown or dark chocolatebrown, fur either pale or faintly dark at base; wings and tail membrane blackish. Facial stripes present or absent, usually end at upper edge of ear, rarely at middle of ear; no midback stripe. Noseleaf spear-shaped, often pale on sides of base; ears triangular, rims sometimes cream or yellow; four upper incisors of about equal size, center incisors bilobed; muzzle broad and powerful, upper tooth row horseshoeshaped. Tail membrane with or without fringe of hairs on edge, V-shaped, often short; if very short, then edge with hairy fringe; if longer, without hairy fringe. Species. There are about a dozen species; all probably occur in lowland rainforest. Most cannot reliably be distinguished in the hand. Species include: A. hartii (formerly Enchisthenes), medium (13-17 g), dark chocolate-brown, blackish on head, tail membrane short and hairy, facial stripes narrow pale brown; A. glaucus, small (12 g), uniform smoky brown or gray, fur uniformly dark to base, facial stripes bright, rims of ears, tragus, and sides of noseleaf pale yellow, wings black; A. watsoni. small (13 g), pale beige to gray, stripes prominent, tail membrane naked. Some place this group in a separate genus. Similar species. Yellow-eared bats (Vampyressa) have brown wings, facial stripes to middle or rear of ear; Macconnell's bats (Mesophylla macconnelli) have no stripes, Bats (Chiroptera) 77 yellow thumb and wrist, semitransparent tail membrane. Natural history. Feed on small fruits and insects. At least two species roost in tents made from palm leaves, and another species has been found roosting under a banana leaf. Found in mature and disturbed lowland and montane rainforest, plantations and gardens, and cloud forest and deciduous forest. Geographic range. Central and South America: central Mexico south to N Bolivia and the S Amazon Basin of Brazil. To at least 2,400 m elevation. Status. Uncommon to rare, most species widespread. References. Handley, C. O., Jr. 1987. New species from northern South America: Fruit-eating bats, genus Artibeus Leach. Fieldiana Zool. 39:163-72. Ipanema or Double-lipped Bat Pygoderma bilabiatum Plate E, map 69 Identification. Measurements: HB = 6085; T = 0; HF = 12-15; E = 17-21; FA = 36-41; WT = 15-22 g; females strikingly larger than males. Upperparts warm brown; forequarters paler than rump; fur long, tricolor with dark bands at base and tip; shoulder at junction of wing with pure white spot; wings and tail membrane brown. Head broad and short; mouth wide, upper lip with a fold from base of noseleaf to corner of mouth forming a "double" lip; insides of upper and lower lips at corner of mouth with dense fringe of long papillae; noseleaf a large, narrow, fleshy spear; chin bald, without tubercules; ears triangular, broad at base, with a partial membrane across head from back of upper side, tragus yellow; eyes large, chocolate-brown. Tail membrane short, V-shaped, well haired, with hairy fringe. Chest thinly haired, almost naked in males, hairer in females; belly medium brown, frosted. Similar species. No similar bats have a double lip; little white-shouldered bats (Ametrida) are smaller and have a white spot below ear; the two other bats with shoulder spots do not have large spearshaped noseleaves. Natural history. Apparently feeds on soft, pulpy fruits. Found in mature and secondMap 69 [ | Little white-shouldered bat. Ametrida centurio Ipanema or double-lipped bat. Pygoderma bilabiatum ary forests and plantations with fruit trees, in rainforest and deciduous forest. Geographic range. South America: known from three disjunct areas—Surinam; southcentral Bolivia and adjacent Argentina; and E Paraguay to SE Brazil. Status. Locally common but patchy, rare in many areas; widespread. References. Webster, W. D., and R. D. Owen. 1984. Pygoderma bilabiatum. Mammalian Species, no. 220. Myers, P. 1981. Observations on Pygoderma bilabiatum (Wagner). Z. Saugetierk. 46:146-51. Little White-shouldered Bat Ametrida centurio Map 69 Identification. Measurements: HB = 38— 55; T = 0; HF = 10-11; E = 13-16; FA = 25-33; WT = 8-12 g; females larger than males. Upperparts warm pale brown to cinnamon, males more dusky, with grayer tints than females; forequarters paler than hindquarters; fur tricolor, dark at base and tip; shoulder at angle of wing with pure white spot; neck below ear with smaller, fainter white spot; wings and tail membrane brown. Face short and broad; mouth wide and monkeylike, muzzle naked, lips with fringe of papillae inside; noseleaf a short broad spear flattened back against base of eyes; eyes large and bulging, males with a swollen pad below. 78 Species Accounts Ears triangular, broad at base, brown with yellow base and tragus. Tail membrane short, V-shaped, hairy, with hairy fringe. Similar species. See double-lipped bat. Natural history. Found in lowland rainforest and clearings and edges derived from it. Geographic range. Central and South America: one individual is known from the Canal Zone of Panama; all others are from Venezuela, the Guianas, and the eastern Amazon Basin of Brazil. Status. Rare in a large geographic range. Visored Bat Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum Plate E, map 70 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5263; T = 0; HF = 11-13; E = 13-17; ^ = 37-42; WT = 18 g; females larger than males. Upperparts cinnamon-brown, males sometimes tinted gray; fur tricolored, dark band at base and tip; shoulder at angle of wing and neck below ear with pure white spots; wings and tail membrane brown. Face short and broad, mouth wide, monkeylike, smiling; forehead with large, fleshy, horizontal fold (visor), much larger in males than females, males appear to be wearing a baseball cap; noseleaf (Tshaped, pushed forward by bottom of visor; muzzle and chin naked; eyes large, bulging, metallic golden brown; ears triangular, base yellow, tip brown, tragus yellow; chin with fold of skin that can be pulled up over face, fold has translucent spots over eyes when pulled up. Tail membrane short, V-shaped, hairy. Underparts like back. Similar species. No other bats have a face like this (see double-lipped bat [Pygoderma bilabiatum]); wrinkle-faced bats (Centurio senex) have no forward-projecting visor or noseleaf. Natural history. Found in many habitats, including mature and secondary rainforest, cloud forest, and deciduous forest, and in gardens, plantations, and pastures. Geographic range. South America: Venezuela and the western Amazon Basin in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and N Bolivia. To 2,200 m elevation. Status. Rare to uncommon in a large geographic range. Map 70 111 Wrinkle-faced bat. Centurio senex Visored bat. Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum Wrinkle-faced Bat Centurio senex Plate E, map 70 Identification. Measurements: HB = 53— 67; T = 0; HF = 10-15; E = 13-19; FA = 42-47; WT = 16-25 g. Upperparts warm pale brown to beige; fur tricolor, dark at base and tip; shoulder at angle of wing with pure white spot; wing brown, membranes between thirdfourth and fourth—fifth fingers (nearest to body) with striking ladderlike pattern of alternating translucent and opaque bars, most pronounced in males; forearms very hairy. Head and face a round ball, face naked, with deep, complex skin-folds and channels between eyes and around nostrils; mouth very wide; eyes large and bulging; no free noseleaf; chin with loose fold of skin that can be pulled up over eyes, translucent spots where fold covers eyes, this mask well developed in males, less so in females; males only have additional large folds or lappets on the chin; ears long, narrow, thin, naked, rounded, brown distally, yellow basally, upper edge of ears with large distinctive horizontal lobes covering part of brow. Tail membrane narrow, V-shaped, hairy. Throat whitish, belly colored like back. Neck very short, head appears stuck onto large, square, squat body. Males have a musky odor. Variation. Males have more extremely developed facial folds than females. Similar species. No other bats have a face Bats (Chiroptera) 79 like this or laddered wings; visored bats (Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum) have a noseleaf and projecting visor on forehead. Natural history. Feeds on fruits, from which it extracts the juice. Wrinkle-faced bats roost among foliage. Males roost singly or in groups of two or three; a number may be dispersed around the same tree. Females roost in dense clusters. While roosting, the mask of skin is pulled up tightly completely over the face and forehead and covers the horizontal flaps of the ears; a ridge across the crown holds it in place. Wrinkle-faced bats fly rapidly, like big, heavy beetles, with a wobbly motion, sometimes with the body vertical to the ground. Found in mature and secondary rainforest, deciduous forest, gallery forest, plantations, and gardens. Apparently adapts well to extremely disturbed habitats and can live in city parks and scrubby forest near cane fields. Geographic range. Central and South America: coastal Mexico south through Panama, coastal N Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad. To about 1,400 m elevation. Status. Rare, but widespread and with wide habitat range. References. Snow, J. L., J. K. Jones, Jr., and W. D. Webster. 1980. Centurio senex. Mammalian Species, no. 138. Goodwin, G. G. and A. M. Greenhall. 1961. A review of the bats of Trinidad and Tobago. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 122:187-302. Vampire Bats (Subfamily Desmodontinae) Dental formula: 11/2 or 2/2; Cl/1; Pl/2; Ml/1; 2/1, or 2/2 = 20 or 26. These are the only true vampire bats in the world. They are highly specialized for feeding on the blood of birds and mammals. They have small folds above the nose and no spear-shaped structures; long, razor-sharp, caninelike, forward-pointing upper incisor teeth; and large, bladelike canine teeth. There is no tail, and the tail membrane is reduced. The legs and forearms are long, and the body is slender. The thumbs are long and thickened or have pads and are used as feet to walk, hop, or climb quadrupedally along the ground or on branches, to approach prey quietly. These bats never suck blood from their prey, but lick up the drops flowing from a small scoop they bite in the skin. The razor-sharp teeth make a quick and painless wound, without waking up sleeping prey. Vampires are usually feared by local people, who often have never seen one at close range and thus do not discriminate between vampires and other species of bats. There is a tendency to believe that larger bats are all vampires. People therefore kill bats at random (much as they behave toward snakes)—a practice to be discouraged because bats are beneficial. Vampires are an extraordinary example of complex evolutionary adaptation and should be objects of wonder rather than fear. They are related to the leaf-nosed bats, but they are sometimes placed in a separate family of their own. The two genera and three species are restricted to the New World tropics and subtropics. Common Vampire Bats Desmodus spp. Plates F, 6, map 71 Identification. Measurements: HB = 7293; T = O; HF = 14-22; E = 16-21; FA = 49-63: WT = 26-48 g. Upperparts rich dark brown, rarely orange; fur short and straight, with a strong sheen, often silvery; hair on neck and shoulders sometimes whitish, with a prominent pale base; fur on back often sparse, especially on forequarters; wings blackish, wingtips black or white. Muzzle short, nostrils in small M-shaped fold, with another, fl-shaped fold behind this, no free noseleaf, no horseshoe under nostrils; ears triangular with pointed tips, tragus hairy; chintip a deeply notched V, undersurface of chin naked, with dot of a gland at base of throat; middle upper incisors larger than canines, triangular and forward-pointing, canines triangular, very sharp. Thumbs long, either with distinct pads under joints or with entire length thickened; legs long, feet with long toes and claws. Tail membrane brown, a narrow U-shaped band, hairy. Underparts sometimes sharply demarcated from sides, 80 Species Accounts Map 71 silvery gray or white with sheen, brown hair base showing through. Species. There are two species, both in rainforest: the common vampire, D. rotundus. has stiff fur, with bright tips producing a coarse sheen, and black wingtips (except in Chile, where they are white); the white-winged vampire, D. youngi, sometimes placed in the genus Diaemus, has silky fur with a fine shine and sharply demarcated pure white wingtips. Similar species. Hairy-legged vampires (Diphylla ecaudata) have long, dense fur and no tail membrane; wrinkle-faced (Centurio senex) and visored (Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum) bats have white shoulderspots; all other tailless bats have noseleaves (except some bats restricted to Caribbean islands and not described in this book). Natural history. Feed on blood. Common vampires feed on mammals, including humans, nowadays often on domestic ungulates, especially cattle and horses. They feed by silently approaching an animal (these bats fly extremely quietly), landing near it or on it, making a small scoop in the skin, and lapping up flowing blood with the tongue. White-winged vampires prefer to feed on the blood of birds (but if starving in captivity will attack a mammal); they are not known to attack cattle or humans. Vampires are agile quadrupedal runners and will readily run and hop on all fours, using the thickened thumb as a foot. Both species roost in caves and hollow trees. Common vampires have a complex social organization in which females form stable groups of 8-12 individuals that roost together, feed in the same home range, and cooperate by sharing food with each other by regurgitation. Males form more temporary associations and compete for dominance of a group of females. These bats seem naturally rare in deep rainforest, but large concentrations of prey in the form of livestock introduced by man have caused them to become common in some areas, where they can transmit rabies, cause wounds susceptible to screwfly invasion, and bite humans. These species should be protected in forest, and only populations that feed on livestock should be controlled. Found in rainforest, deciduous forest, secondary vegetation, gallery forest, cerrado, chaco, pastures, and gardens. Geographic range. Central and South America: N coastal Mexico, S Mexico south along both sides of the Andes to central Chile and S Argentina and Uruguay. To 1,500 m elevation. Status. Common to rare (common vampire), or rare (white-winged vampire); both species widespread. Local names. Vampiro (Span, Br); vampir (Su). References. Greenhall, A. M., and U. Schmidt. 1988. Natural history of vampire bats. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. Wilkinson, G. S. 1985. The social organization of the common vampire bat. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 17:111-21. Hairy-legged Vampire Bat Diphylla ecaudata Plate F, map 72 Identification. Measurements: HB = 7286; T = O; HF = 13-19; E = 15-19; FA = 50-56; WT = 23-33 g. Upperparts rich brown, pale to almost blackish, or near chestnut; fur soft and dense, with strong sheen, hair on shoulders white at base; forearms hairy. Noseleaf very short, consisting of two inconspicuous, (T-shaped folds, one behind the other; face attractive, mouth with a permanent pleasant smile; eyes large; ears short and rounded, lower edge prolonged forward in a small fold, forms a line under eye to nose. Incisors as in common vampires. Tail membrane almost absent, a narrow band down side of leg, hairy above and below; calcar forms a spur Bats (Chiroptera) 81 Map 72 f~~i Hairy-legged vampire bat, Diphylla ecaudata with free tip. Thumb long and thick. Chin naked; underparts gray-brown with sheen. Variation. Paler animals seem to come from drier habitats. Similar species. Other vampires (Desmodus spp.) have short fur and tail membrane that forms a band between legs; see common vampires for other comparisons. Natural history. Feeds on blood, chiefly or exclusively of birds. Hairy-legged vampires roost singly or in small colonies in caves, tunnels, and hollow trees. These vampires do not seem to be as agile at walking quadupedally on flat surfaces as are the common vampires; they approach their prey by crawling upside down along the bottom of a branch. They feed like the common vampires, by biting a small incision and licking up the drops of blood that flow from the wound. They sometimes attack chickens or other domestic poultry but do not usually seem to do them much harm. Found in rainforest, deciduous forest, dry forest, caatinga, and gardens and plantantions. Geographic range. North, Central, and South America: Texas (one record) south along the Caribbean coast of Mexico, all countries of Central America, south to Bolivia and SE Brazil. To about 1,500 m elevation. Status. Rare or uncommon, but extremely widespread. References. Greenhall, A. M., U. Schmidt, and G. Joermann. 1984. Diphylla ecaudata. Mammalian Species, no. 227. Funnel-eared, Thumbless, and Sucker-footed Bats (Natalidae, Furipteridae, Thyropteridae) Dental formula: 12/3, C1/1, P3/3, M3/3 = 38. These are three small families of tiny insectivorous bats. The funnel-eared bats (Natalidae) includes one genus and four species. The thumbless bats (Furipteridae) includes two genera, each with one species. The suckerfooted bats (Thyropteridae) includes one genus with two species. The ecology of all species is poorly known; they all have a fluttering style of flight and may be specialized for hunting insects within dense vegetation. All are restricted to the New World tropics and subtropics. Funnel-eared Bats Natal us spp. Plates F, 7, map 73 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4564; T = 45-60; HF = 7-11; E = 1216; FA = 36-42; WT = 4-7 g. Upperparts pale beige, tawny yellowbrown, gold, or bright rust-orange; fur long, lax, slightly wavy; wings and tail membrane pale brown. Muzzle slightly elongate and narrow, forehead rising abruptly above; nose and chin simple, with no leaf or folds, mouth somewhat funnel-shaped; ears triangular, broad at base, funnel-shaped, pointing forward; eyes small, inconspicuous. Tail very long, about equal to head and body, entirely enclosed within membrane; tail membrane slightly longer than legs, comes to a point at tail tip; calcar longer than foot; hindlegs very long, leg to tip of claws about the same length as head and body; thumbs tiny. Underparts the same color as back or slightly paler. Tiny bats with a large expanse of delicate, crinkled membrane. Species. Two of the four species are found in lowland, continental rainforest; the other Q23 Thumbless bai, Furipierus horrens 82 Species Accounts MaP 73 Map 74 two occupy Caribbean islands: N. stramineus is slightly smaller (HB = 45-48), with the tail usually slightly longer than the head and body; N. tumidirostris is larger (HB = 50-64), with the tail shorter than the head and body; color varies individually from beige to orange in both species. Similar species. Thumbless bats (Furipterus horrens) have no thumb claw, and the tail is much shorter than tail membrane; in all vespertilionid bats the tail and tail membrane are much longer than the legs, and held curled forward in a coil at rest. No other bats with no noseleaf have a long tail entirely within the tail membrane, which forms a point at its edge. Natural history. Feed on insects. Funneleared bats roost in the dark recesses of humid caves, where they hang singly or in groups of well-separated individuals, sometimes in colonies of thousands. They may be restricted to regions with caves (which are absent in much of the Amazon Basin). They fly with a fluttering flight. Found in rainforest, but more often in more arid habitats of deciduous or dry forest and gardens and plantations. Geographic range. Central and South America: both coasts of Mexico almost to the U.S. border, south through Central America and along the north and east coast of South America to SE Brazil, and the lower Amazon Basin. Status. Widespread but generally patchy in distribution, numerous in a few caves. Thumbless Bat Furipterus horrens Plate F, map 74 Identification. Measurements: HB = 3343; T = 20-27; HF - 6-9; E = 9-12; FA = 30-40; WT = 3 g. Upperparts dark smoky gray, slate bluegray, or dark gray-brown; fur long, dense, and lax, wings and tail membrane dark brown. Muzzle short, narrow, nose and chin plain, without folds or leaf, forehead large, rising abruptly at right angle to muzzle; ear short, broad at base; eye tiny, lost in fur. Tail about half as long as tail membrane, entirely enclosed within it; tail membrane longer than leg, entirely filled with pattern of close-set, fine, parallel lines at right angles to tail; thumb a rudimentary stub, with no claw; legs long, almost as long as head and body. Underparts slate gray. Tiny bats like long-legged balls of gray fluff. Similar species. All other bats in rainforest have well-developed thumbs with claws. Natural history. Feeds on insects. Thumbless bats roost in small clusters in colonies of up to at least 60 in caves, horizontal fallen logs, and deep cracks between rocks; one such roost was among large boulders in a riverbed, which were exposed during the dry season. They forage near the forest floor, with a slow, fluttering, mothlike flight. Found in lowland rainforest. Geographic range. Central and South America: Costa Rica south to the southern Amazon basins of Peru and Brazil, and to SE coastal Brazil. Bats (Chiroptera) 83 Map 75 Status. Rare, but widespread. References. LaVal, R. 1977. Notes on some Costa Rican bats. Brenesia 10— 11:77-83. Sucker-footed Bats Thy ropier a spp. Plates F, 7, map 75 Identification. Measurements: HB = 3748; T = 24-37; HF = 4-7; E = 11-14; FA = 31-38; WT = 3-5 g. Upperparts rich chocolate-brown to chestnut; fur long and soft. Face short, muzzle narrow, without noseleaf; ears triangular, broad at base, sharply pointed; eyes tiny. Ankleand thumb-bases with moist, fleshy sucker disks. Tail membrane pointed, longer than legs; tail longer than membrane, within it to posterior edge, tip protrudes free of membrane for a short distance beyond it. Hindfoot tiny, with third and fourth digits fused into one thick digit. Tiny, delicate bats. Species. The two species are found in rainforest: T. tricolor has sharply contrasting white or cream underparts and two small bumps on rear edge of calcar; T. discifera has underparts the same as back or only slightly paler, and one bump on rear of calcar. Similar species. No other bats in region have suckers on feet. Natural history. Feed on insects. T. tricolor roost in small groups of 1-9 inside the rolled new leaves of platanillos (Heliconia spp.) and bananas, at the stage when the leaves are just unrolling to open. Bats must therefore move from leaf to leaf every day or two. The bats in a group stay together as they move from roost to roost. Platanillos tend to grow on relatively good soil in forest openings, such as treefall gaps, and on riversides, and that is where these bats can be found, but they choose roosts in the shade. When the females have young, they can move to "maternity" roosts in hollow logs on the forest floor. T. discifera is poorly known, but it has been found roosting beneath open, dead banana leaves. Unlike most other bats, sucker-footed bats roost head upward, attached to the flat surface of a leaf by their suckers. Their local distribution seems to be patchy; they are apparently limited to areas where they find numerous appropriate roosts. Found only in lowland rainforest and gardens and plantations derived from it. Geographic range. Central and South America: SE Mexico south through Central America to the southern Amazon Basin and the Atlantic forests of SE Brazil. Status. T. discifera is rare; T. tricolor is uncommon and apparently patchy in a huge geographic range. References. Wilson, D. E., and J. S. Findley. 1977. Thyroptera tricolor. Mammalian Species, no. 71. Wilson, D. E. 1978. Thyroptera discifera. Mammalian Species, no. 104. Vespertilionid Bats (Vespertilionidae) Dental formula: 11/3 or 2/3; Cl/1; Pl/2, 2/2, or 3/3; M3/3. This is a large family of smallto medium-sized bats that feed on insects. They have plain faces with no noseleaves, small eyes, and long, wide tail membranes which come to a point at the tip of the long tail. At rest the tail and membrane are curled forward under the body. During flight at the moment of prey capture, the large tail membrane is brought forward and used as a scoop to help trap flying insects. Most species are agile and rapid flyers. In northern regions, most species hibernate in caves during the winter, or both migrate and hibernate, or 84 Species Accounts migrate far enough south to be able to remain active. Vespertilionids have one or, occasionally, two to four young, which are left behind in the roost while the mother forages. The natural history and social behavior of Neotropical species are poorly known. This is the most geographically widespread family of bats; members are found on all continents, with about 37 genera and over 300 species worldwide. Little Brown Bats Myotis spp. Plate F, map 76 Identification. Measurements: about HB = 36-54; T = 30-42; HF - 7-10; E = 11-17; FA = 29-44; WT = 4-7 g. Upperparts blackish brown, smoky brown, chestnut, reddish, or orangish; fur short or medium length, unicolor entirely dark to base or with tips frosted; wings and tail membrane usually blackish, sometimes brown. Head triangular, broad between ears, coming to point at nose, without noseleaf or other folds; eyes tiny; ears triangular, pointed; first tooth behind canine tiny and peglike, creating a large gap between canine and first large tooth behind it. Tail membrane much longer than legs, coming to a point at tip of tail, tail entirely within membrane, usually curled forward under body when not in flight; calcar shorter than foot. Thumb with long distal joint. Underparts paler than back with hairs frosted pale at tips, dark at base, rear of abdomen usually paler than chest. Species. This is the largest and most widespread genus of bats in the world, with about 88 species. About 8 of the 35 New World species are found in rainforest; 3 or 4 can occur together at one locality. They are often quite similar. Some of the most common and widespread in rainforest include: M. nigricans, almost black (FA = 33-36); M. riparius, smoky gray or brown (FA = 32—35); M. albescens, fur sometimes frosted with pale tips (FA = 3437). Similar species. Most big brown bats (Eptesicus spp.) are larger (10 g); they have even fur that is very dark at the base, often blackish, evenly tipped over the entire upperparts with slightly to distinctly paler brown, which gives the appearance of a rich, smooth sheen; the first tooth behind the canine is large, leaving no gap between the canine and the first large tooth behind it. Little yellow bats (Rhogeessa spp.) have fur pale at base; sheath-tailed bats (Emballonuridae) have a short tail whose tip sticks Map 76 [ I Little brown bats. Myotis out above the tail membrane partway along its length; thumbless bats (Furipterus spp.) have a short tail and no thumb claw; funnel-eared (Natalus spp.) bats are pale, with funnel-shaped ears and mouth. Natural history. Feed on tiny insects. Little brown bats seem to favor flying in open areas or gaps in the forest, such as those formed by treefalls, streams, trails, roads, swamps or pools, and gardens, or in clearings around houses. They fly swiftly, with rapid wing beats, making frequent dives and turns to catch their prey. They may be high or low in the forest. Forest species roost in tree hollows, rock crevices, or buildings. Most species of this genus roost in close contact in tight clusters. In all lowland habitats. Geographic range. Worldwide; subarctic to equatorial; in the entire rainforest region. To at least 2,400 m elevation. Status. Rainforest species are common to rare; most appear widespread. References. LaVal, R. K. 1973. A revision of the Neotropical bats of the genus Myotis. Los Angeles County Nat. Hist. Mus. Sci. Bull. 15. Wilson. D. E., and R. K. LaVal. 1974. Myotis nigricans. Mammalian Species, no. 39. Bats (Chiroptera) 85 Map 77 Big Brown Bats Eptesicus spp. Plates F, 7, map 77 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4884; T = 33-49; HF = 8-13; E = 1119; FA = 37-54; WT - 5-16 g. Upperparts black-brown to tawny yellowocher; fur deep blackish at base with tip always paler, from slightly paler, rich brown, to much paler tawny, on dark animals paler tips impart a sheen; fur mediumlong, of even length, often silky; wings and tail membranes usually black, sometimes dark brown, strong and leathery. Face plain, pointed; without noseleaf; ears triangular, pointed; eyes small; first tooth behind upper canine large, leaving little gap between canine and first large tooth. Tail shorter than head and body length (40-90%), entirely within membrane, tail membrane comes to a point at tail tip, tail held curled forward under body at rest; calcar longer than foot. Underparts yellowish, paler than back, hair blackish at base, usually tawny to gold at tips. Species. There are about 30 species worldwide; 4 of the about 6 New World species can occupy lowland rainforest habitats: E. fuscus is large (FA = 48-54; WT ~ 15 g) and tawny yellow-ocher; E. brasiliensis is dark brown to reddish and smaller (FA = 40-46; WT = 9-12 g); E. furinalis is dark brown to orange-tinged brown, to dark tawny (FA = 37-43; WT = 7-10 g); and E. andinus is blackish (FA = 42— 48; WT = 11 g) and largely montane. Similar species. Little brown bats (Myotis spp.) have a tiny first tooth behind the canine, leaving an apparent gap; usually have unicolor fur except that M. albescens. which are very similar to E. furinalis but smaller (FA = 34-37), have underparts frosted with more whitish or grayish, whereas in E. furinalis they are yellow or tawny. Natural history. Feed on insects. Big brown bats roost in tree hollows, holes in snags in lagoons, buildings, and caves. E. fuscus flies in a steady, straight course, with occasional dives to catch prey, and it favors unencumbered areas. These bats are often in and around buildings and country towns. Found in rainforest, cloud forest, gallery forest, deserts, gardens, plantations, and fields. Geographic range. Worldwide including the Americas from Canada to Argentina and Uruguay. Status. Rare in rainforest; common in other habitats. References. Hill, J. E., and D. L. Harrison. 1987. The baculum in the Vespertilioninae (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) with a systematic review, a synopsis of Pipistrellus and Eptesicus and description of a new genus and subgenus. Bull. Brit. Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser. 52, no. 7. Black-winged Little Yellow Bat Rhogeessa tumida Plate F, map 78 Identification. Measurements: HB = 3649; T = 26-31; HF = 6-8; E = 12-14; FA = 25-33; WT = 3-5 g. Upperparts pale yellow lightly to heavily frosted or overlaid with brown; fur bicolored pale yellow at base with brown tips; wings blackish or brown. Face triangular, nose pointed, plain, no noseleaf; eyes tiny; ears triangular, narrow at base, pale at base with dark tips; tragus a long, narrow blade. Tail membrane much longer than legs, coming to point at tip of tail, tail entirely within it; tail shorter than head and body. Underparts pale yellow or gold. Miniscule bats. Variation. Varies geographically from pale in Central America to dark brown-frosted in South America. Five other species occupy dry habitats. 86 Species Accounts Map 78 Map 79 Similar species. Little brown bats (Myotis spp.) have fur dark at base; funnel-eared bats (Natalus spp.) have pale membranes, funnel-shaped ears, tail as long as head and body. Natural history. Feeds on insects. Little yellow bats roost in colonies in hollow trees. They start to forage at dusk, sallying out from the shelter of trees with a more rapid flight than sheath-tailed bats. This genus includes the smallest New World bats. Found in a wide range of habitats from rainforest to dry forest. Geographic range. Central and South America: E Mexico south through all of Central America to W and N Colombia and Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guianas, Trinidad, N Bolivia, and the Amazon Basin of Brazil to coastal Bahfa. Status. Apparently rare but very widespread. References. LaVal, R. K. 1973. Systematics of the genus Rhogeessa (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Occas. Pap. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas, 19:1-47. Big-eared Brown Bats Histiotus spp. Plate F, map 79 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5468; T = 47-58; HF = 8-10; E = 2735; FA = 45-51; WT = 14-16 g. Upperparts dark brown, tawny brown, or beige; fur long and lax, very dark brown at base with paler tips. Face triangular, nose plain and sharply pointed, without noseleaf; ears enormous, broad and long, inner edges almost meet over brow; tragus long, lance-shaped. Tail membrane much longer than legs, tail within it to edge, then tip extends free beyond it for a short distance. Underparts frosted white or beige, hair dark brown at base. Species. There are about four species; they are mostly montane or temperate, but H. velatus may be found in Atlantic coastal rainforests and the cloud forest species H. montanus may occasionally be found below 1,000 m. Similar species. There are no other small bats with enormous ears and no noseleaf on the South American continent. Natural history. Feed on insects. H. velatus has been found roosting in small clusters in the roofs and attics of buildings. Found in mature and disturbed premontane and montane humid forests and in temperate forests. Geographic range. South America: the entire Andean chain and subtropical and temperate South America, mountains of Venezuela, greater Rio Sao Francisco drainage of SE Brazil, and Paraguay. To above 2,000 m elevation. Status. All species apparently rare; widespread to restricted in range. References. Mumford, R. E., and D. M. Knudson. 1978. Ecology of bats at Vicosa, Brazil. Proc. 4th Inter. Bat Res. Conf, 287-95. Map 80 11881 Hoary or hairy-tailed bats. Lasiurus Hoary or Hairy-tailed Bats Lasiurus spp. Plates F, 7, map 80 Identification. Measurements: HB = 5290; T = 41-61; HF = 7-14; E = 1020; FA = 36-57; WT = 6-21 g. Upperparts rust-red, yellow, or brown frosted white, often frosted or variegated; fur dense, hairs with several color bands, dark band at base; forearm hairy below and with patches of hair near thumbs; tail membrane long, wide, and thick, entirely filling space between legs, thickly furred above for half or more of its length; wing membranes with pale patches surrounding bones. Head short, muzzle blunt, nostrils often widely separated, no noseleaf; ears thick, short, broad, rounded, scarcely protruding above crown; tragus a narrow panel displaced on a stalk in front of ear. Tail long, entirely within membrane, at rest tail is bent forward and upward so that hairy tail membrane covers lower belly; posture at rest characteristic, curled forward in a tuck. Underparts dirty yellow or red, hair dark at base. Medium-sized, often beautifully patterned and brightly colored bats. Bats (Chiroptera) 87 Species. Four of the seven species can be found in lowland rainforest: L. cinereus is large (FA = 50-57), either brown (Central America) or pale yellow (Venezuela), strongly variegated or frosted with white; L. borealis is small (FA = 36-42), bright rust-orange on lower back, forequarters frosted with red over yellow, underparts yellowish; L. ega is medium-sized (FA = 47-51), entirely dirty yellow, without frosting; L. egregius is rust-red over yellow, with red underparts. Similar species. No other bats in region have the combination of short blunt head and ears, no noseleaf, and long, thickly furred tail membrane. Natural history. Feed on insects, especially moths and other large kinds, and have been reported preying on tiny species of bats. Hoary bats often fly high, with a strong, fast flight and slow wing beats. They sometimes forage around streetlights in towns. They roost singly among foliage, especially along forest edges, in places well sheltered from above, and their variegated colors probably serve as camouflage against the leaves. They can have litters of up to four young. Hoary bats include the most widespread species of New World bats. In North America they are seasonally migratory, but their behavior in the tropics is poorly known. Found in a wide variety of habitats from deep undisturbed Amazon rainforest to many kinds of disturbed forest, dry forest, and temperate and boreal forests. Geographic range. North, Central, and South America: Canada to Chile. To at least 1,500 m elevation. Status. Uncommon in rainforest; all rainforest species widespread except probably L. egregius. References. Shump, K. A., Jr., and A. U. Shump. 1982. Lasiurus borealis. Mammalian Species, no. 183. . 1982. Lasiurus cinereus. Mammalian Species, no. 185. Free-tailed or Mastiff Bats (Molossidae) This is one of the most distinctive families of bats. They are smallto large-sized bats with long, thick, naked tails that extend free for about half their length beyond the edge of the tail membrane. They have short, velvety fur; leathery wings and tail membranes; short, broad hairy feet; rectangular, flattened bodies; very narrow wings; doglike faces 88 Species Accounts with no noseleaf; wide mouths; and medium-sized black eyes. Their ears are complexly folded and distinctive: they are divided by a longitudinal fold into two open compartments, one facing outward and the other inward, over the eye; the forward or upper edge of the ear extends as a thick fold across the brow; the lower edge of the ear forms a fold that curves around forward under the ear, and this fold has a separate lobe called the antitragus that stands up in front of the ear opening and hides the true tragus, which lies behind it. The precise shape of both antitragus and upper edges of the ear is an important character for identification of genera and species. Bats of this family chiefly feed on large insects such as moths and beetles. They can be recognized by their strong, swift, erratic flight and narrow wings. Some species have echolocation calls in the frequency range audible to humans, and they can be clearly heard uttering musical single chirps as they cruise and bursts of sound as they dive to capture prey. The flattened bodies of these bats allow them to roost in narrow crevices in caves, between rocks, under bark, or in tree holes. Worldwide they have become commensal with man, roosting by the hundreds tightly packed in tiny spaces in the roofs of buildings. They are muscular and agile at crawling or scuttling quadrupedally. During the day in the roost they become torpid, with body temperature near ambient levels. They are able to open their mouths extremely wide, and when threatened they draw back their lips and open their mouths in a ferocious-looking threat. These are the common larger bats that fly swiftly over the rooftops of tropical towns at dusk. Large populations in caves feed on enormous numbers of insects and produce guano and are particularly beneficial to man. There are about 14 genera and 90 species worldwide, with 10 genera in the New World. Dog-faced Bats Mo loss ops spp. Plate G, map 81 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4366; T = 21-29; HF = 5-11; E = 1215; FA = 30-38; WT = 5-16 g. Upperparts dark brown, fur pale at base. Fur on forehead diminishes gradually down face between eyes. Muzzle pointed; lips without folds, upper lip angles back steeply from nose to undershot mouth; nostrils set in slightly raised pads with hard upper rim; center of muzzle flat, without ridge. Ears simple, triangular, pointed, upper edges widely separated on crown, reach forward of eye when flattened, division into two longitudinal compartments rudimentary, accordianlike slight flexible fold where upper edge of ear meets head, lower edge of ear not folded back. Tail about 40-50% of the length of head and body, free from membrane for less than half its length. Round gland on throat present in males. Underparts like back or frosted pale, or gray-brown or cinnamon, throat sometimes white. Species. The two species are found in lowland rainforest: M. neglectus is larger (FA = 36-38; WT = 15-16 g) and has dark underparts; M. temminckii is tiny (FA = 30-32; WT = 4-9 g) and has underparts frosted or paler than back. Map 81 Similar species. Flat-headed bats (Neoplatymops mattogrossensis) have bumps on the forearm and highly flattened body and head; doglike bats (Cynomops spp.) have no extra fold at upper edge of ear, that folds down strongly, forming separate compartment over eye, and hair of crown that ends abruptly on a line; mastiff bats (Molossus spp.) have the top of the muzzle raised in a ridge. Natural history. M. temminckii roost in groups of two or three in hollow trees, rock crevices, buildings, and fence stakes. They choose holes 1-3 m from the ground, with tiny entrances, often slits less than 2 cm wide or holes barely large enough for the bats to squeeze through. They are silent in the roost, so their presence is difficult to detect. They fly out at dusk for short foraging bouts, after which they return and rest in the roost. They frequent mature and highly disturbed rainforest, dry forest, areas around human habitations, and agricultural areas. Geographic range. South America: Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil south of the Amazon Basin (M. temminckii), or in the Amazon Basin (A/, neglectus). Status. Locally common to rare; M. neglectus is known from only 10 individuals, both species widespread. References. Vizotto, L. D., and V. A. Taddei. 1976. Notas sobre Molossops temminckii temminckii e Molossops planirostris (Chiroptera-Molossidae). Naturalia 2:47-59. Myers, P., and R. M. Wetzel. 1983. Systematics and zoogeography of the bats of the Chaco Boreal. Misc. Pub. Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich., no. 165. Doglike Bats Cynomops spp. Plate G, map 82 Identification. Measurements: HB = 4489; T = 22-40; HF = 8-13; E = 1420; FA = 30-48; WT = 10-42 g. Upperparts blackish brown, chestnut, or orange-brown, fur short, dark or pale at base: hair of crown ends abruptly, usually on line between ears. Muzzle broad, chin broad, rounded in profile; upper lip without vertical wrinkles, slightly puckered in to meet lower lip; nostrils like holes punched in surface, not on raised pad, no sculptured surface around or between nostrils, top of muzzle between eyes and nostrils flat, without raised central ridge. Ear rounded, folded longitudinally to form compartment over eye, when flattened forward reaches midway from eye to nose; upper edges of ears do not meet in center of forehead; rear edge of ear slightly folded backward, antitragus almost rectangular, tragus a narrow spike. Throat gland present. Tail usually 40-50% of head and body length. Underparts dark. Bats (Chiroptera) 89 Map 82 H Doglike bats, Cynomops slightly grayer and paler than back or throat and belly whitish. Species. There are about five species; three occur in lowland rainforest: C. abrasus, medium-sized, often chestnut; C. greenhalli, small and blackish; C. planirostris, medium-sized, with pale fur base and whitish underparts. These species are sometimes placed in the genus Molossops. Similar species. Dog-faced bats (Molossops spp.) have pointed ears and fur decreasing gradually down face between eyes; mastiff bats (Molossus spp.) have a raised ridge down center of face. Natural history. Feed on insects. Doglike bats roost in small groups of up to eight in small holes in rotting trees in swamps, hollow branches, fence posts, and buildings. M. planirostris roosts are 1.5-5 m above the ground; the bats are noisy in the roost, twittering and scrambling around, especially just before they emerge at night. They often seem to forage around or over ponds or swamps, or in clearings. Rainforest, gallery forest, llanos, and savannas. Geographic range. Central and South America: W coast of Mexico south through all Central and South American countries to Paraguay. Status. Common to rare, widespread. References. Vizotto, L. D., and V. A. Taddei. 1976. Notas sobre Molossops temminckii temminckii e Molossops planirostris (Chiroptera-Molossidae). Naturalia 2:47-59.