American disc bats

American disc bats
	Thyroptera tricolor
Systematics
Subclass :	Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate :	Laurasiatheria
Order :	Bats (chiroptera)
Superfamily :	Hare's mouths (Noctilionoidea)
Family :	Thyropteridae
Genre :	American disc bats
Scientific name of the family
	Thyropteridae
	Miller , 1907
Scientific name of the genus
	Thyroptera
	Spix , 1823

The American disc bats (Thyropteridae) are a bat family from the superfamily of the hare- mouthed bats (Noctilionoidea). The family includes one genus, Thyroptera , with five species. With the Madagascan sticky disc bat they have the sticky discs in common, but these differ in structure and are probably only due to convergent evolution.

distribution

These bats live in America , their range extends from southern Mexico to central South America ( Bolivia and southern Brazil ).

description

American disc bats are relatively small bats, they reach a head body length of 34 to 52 millimeters and a weight of 4 to 6 grams. The tail is very long (25 to 33 millimeters), its tip protrudes over the uropatagium (the flight membrane between the legs). The fur of these animals is reddish to brownish in color on the upper side, the underside is lighter. Their snouts are long, their ears pointed and funnel-shaped, a tragus is present. They do not have a nosepiece, but rather wart-like elevations on the snout, which presumably function as a sensory organ.

These bats get their name from the round balls on the soles of the feet and the roots of the thumbs, which allow them to hold onto smooth surfaces like a suction cup. These pads are controlled by fine muscles and are so strong that a single one can support the animal's full weight. Special glands on these pads provide additional support.

Way of life

These animals live together in small groups of two to nine (average six) animals, which consist of one or more males, several females and their young. A rolled-up leaf of a heliconia or banana tree serves as a resting place for a whole group . This gives them shelter from the weather and privacy from predators. They sleep in an unusual posture for bats (with their heads up), while they hold on to their adhesive discs. Since suitable leaves unroll within a few days, they have to change their resting place almost every day, the group always staying together.

The diet of these animals consists almost entirely of insects.

Reproduction

American disc bats can give birth to offspring twice a year, whereby, as with most bats, single births predominate. Newborns cling to their mother's fur and accompany them on their forays in search of food until they have almost reached half their weight.

The species

Thyroptera tricolor is distributed from southern Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil . It has a red-brown top and an almost white underside, the ears are black.

Thryoptera discifera differs from T. tricolor in its brown underside and yellowish, larger ears. It isnativefrom Nicaragua to the Amazon region .

Thyroptera lavali was described in 1993 and lives in a small area in northeastern Peru . It is larger and darker in color than the other two species. Due to its small distribution area, it is listed as endangeredby the IUCN .

Thyroptera devivoi was described in 2006 and has so far been identified for Brazil and Guyana .

Thyroptera wynneae was only described in 2014 and has so farbeen detectedin Peru and Brazil .

Remarks

↑ In doing so, the bats orientate themselves to those group members who have already found a good place to sleep, whereby communication takes place through social sounds, cf. Gloriana Cheverri (Boston University) et al., Biology Letters, doi : 10.1098 / rsbl.2009.0964
^ Gregorin, R., Gonçalves, E., Lim, BK, & Engstrom, MD (2006). New species of disk-winged bat Thyroptera and range extension for T. discifera . Journal of Mammalogy, 87 (2), pp. 238-246
↑ Velazco, PM, Gregorin, R., Voss, RS, & Simmons, NB (2014). Extraordinary Local Diversity of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyropteridae: Thyroptera) in Northeastern Peru, with the Description of a New Species and Comments on Roosting Behavior. American Museum Novitates, pp. 1-28.

literature

Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899

[1] In doing so, the bats orientate themselves to those group members who have already found a good place to sleep, whereby communication takes place through social sounds, cf. Gloriana Cheverri (Boston University) et al., Biology Letters, doi : 10.1098 / rsbl.2009.0964

[2] Gregorin, R., Gonçalves, E., Lim, BK, & Engstrom, MD (2006). New species of disk-winged bat Thyroptera and range extension for T. discifera . Journal of Mammalogy, 87 (2), pp. 238-246

[3] Velazco, PM, Gregorin, R., Voss, RS, & Simmons, NB (2014). Extraordinary Local Diversity of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyropteridae: Thyroptera) in Northeastern Peru, with the Description of a New Species and Comments on Roosting Behavior. American Museum Novitates, pp. 1-28.