Balantiopteryx
| Balantiopteryx | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Balantiopteryx | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1867 |
Balantiopteryx is a bat genus from the family of the smooth-nosed cantilever , which is native to Central and South America.
description
Species of the genus Balantiopteryx have a head-trunk length of 48 to 55 mm, a tail of 12 to 21 mm in length and weigh between 4 and 9 grams. The coat color varies between dark brown, hazelnut brown and grayish. None of the species has stripes. The wing sacs that give the family its name are located in the middle of the flight membrane between the upper and lower arm in this genus. The muzzle appears flattened.
Way of life
Bats of the genus Balantiopteryx are gregarious and live in groups of up to 2000 animals in caves and on field walls, often near bodies of water. The animals usually hang in bright places and, like other smooth-nosed free-tails, keep a certain distance from one another. Balantiopteryx belongs to the genus that flies out early in the evening, often before sunset. It feeds on insects.
Types and distribution
- Ecuador sack- winged bat ( Balantiopteryx infusca ) in Ecuador and Colombia
- Thomas sack-winged bat ( Balantiopteryx io ) in the south from Mexico to Guatemala and Belize
- Peters sack-winged bat ( Balantiopteryx plicata ) in Mexico to Costa Rica
While Balantiopteryx plicata is classified as safe by the IUCN , Balantiopteryx io are considered threatened and Balantiopteryx infusca are endangered. The number of individuals in both species is decreasing. The reason for this is the destruction of the habitat and, in particular, the disturbance of the caves on which they depend as hanging places. Tourism in the caves of Belize and Yucatan endanger the species B. io that occurs there . B. infusca occurs only very locally in Ecuador and Colombia , with only one report from Colombia. Accordingly, very little is known about this species and its needs.
Distribution area of Balantiopteryx plicata
Distribution area of Balantiopteryx infusca
Distribution area of Balantiopteryx io
literature
- RM Nowak: Walker's Bats of the World .
