Aztec fruit vampire
| Aztec fruit vampire | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Artibeus aztecus | ||||||||||||
| Andersen , 1906 |
The Aztec fruit vampire ( Artibeus aztecus ) is a species of bat from the family of leaf noses (Phyllostomidae), which is native to Central America.
description
The Aztec fruit vampire is a small representative of the actual fruit vampire and is closely related to the Toltec fruit vampire ( Artibeus toltecus ). It differs from this in the higher average weight of 18 g, it lacks the light edge of the ears and the facial stripes are weak or nonexistent. In addition, it occurs more in the highlands, while its sister species can be found at medium altitude. In places, however, the two species also occur sympatric . The fur of the Aztec fruit vampire is brown to black-brown, whereas animals that live closer to the equator have a darker color.
Similar to the Toltec fruit vampire, the Aztec fruit vampire was named after a people of Central American indigenous people, the Aztecs , who lived on Popocatépetl in Mexico , where the holotype of this species was caught.
Way of life
The Aztec fruit vampire is primarily found in cloud forests , but has also been caught in banana and mango plantations and in a relatively dry valley near Comayagua, Honduras. During the day, the species sleeps under banana leaves, in crevices and caves, as well as in man-made structures such as buildings, tunnels and mines. Like all representatives of the actual fruit vampires, the Aztec fruit vampire is also a fruit eater.
Females pregnant with one embryo each were caught in March, April, July and August, and one suckling animal in September.
distribution and habitat
The distribution of the Aztec fruit vampire ranges from Mexico to Panama . Their population is classified as safe by the IUCN thanks to their widespread distribution and likely large populations.
literature
- WD Webster, JK Jones: Artibeus aztecus , Mammalian Species , No. 177 (1982): pp. 1-3