Tree bat
| Tree bat | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Ardops | ||||||||||||
| Miller , 1906 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Ardops nichollsi | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1891) |
The tree bat ( Ardops nichollsi ) is a bat species from the leaf-nosed family (Phyllostomidae) and the only species in the genus Ardops . The tree bat is endemic to the Lesser Antilles and closely related to Ariteus , Phyllops and Stenoderma , three likewise monotypical bat genera that are native to the Antilles. Until 1967 the genus Ardops was divided into five species, but these are only listed as subspecies today.
description
The tree bat is a medium-sized representative of the fruit vampire with a total length of 63.8 mm and an average weight of 16.9 g in males and 18.5 g in females (sexual dimorphism ). Like most leaf noses , the tree bat also has a nasal leaf . The fur is long (9-11 mm) and brown, the back hair is colored in three parts with a dark base, a lighter middle part and a brown tip.
Way of life
Comparatively little is known about the way of life of the tree bat. During the day she uses trees and tree-like vegetation as a sleeping place. Pregnant females are known from the end of March and beginning of April, lactating from the second half of April. The animals probably only give birth to one young animal per gestation period.
distribution and habitat
The tree bat is found on seven islands in the Lesser Antilles , from St. Eustatius in the north to St. Vincent in the south. Their population is classified as safe by the IUCN .
Web links
literature
- JK Jones, HH Genoways: Ardops nichollsi , Mammalian Species , No. 24 (1973): pp. 1-2