Lesser Antilles fruit vampire
| Lesser Antilles fruit vampire | ||||||||||||
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Lesser Antilles fruit vampire ( Brachyphylla nana ) |
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| Brachyphylla nana | ||||||||||||
| Miller , 1902 |
The Lesser Antilles fruit vampire ( Brachyphylla nana ) is a species of bat from the genus of the Antilles fruit vampires ( Brachyphylla ) within the leaf-nosed family (Phyllostomidae), which is native to the Greater Antilles .
The Greek generic name Brachyphylla is made up of brachys (= "short") and phyllo (= "leaf"), which refers to the reduced nasal sheet . The species name nana means "dwarf" because the species is relatively small.
description
The Lesser Antilles fruit vampire is a small bat, with the females being larger than the males ( sexual dimorphism ). The total length is 65–92 mm. The hair is white to yellowish at the base and dark brown to gray at the tips.
Way of life
The Lesser Antilles fruit vampire is one of the most common bat species in Cuba , but rare in Haiti . The choice of resting place differs locally and is probably based on the respective range of caves. In Cuba, the Lesser Antilles fruit vampire forms large colonies in warm, moist, climatically stable caves, where it often hangs on ceilings and walls together with Phyllonycteris poeyi , Mormoops blainvillei and three species of the genus Pteronotus . On the Caicos Islands, however, the species occurs in groups of 30 to 40 animals in not too humid, relatively cool caves that have a less stable climate. There you can find them together with Erophylla sezekorni , Monophyllus redmani and Macrotus waterhousii .
The diet of the Lesser Antilles fruit vampire includes fruits, pollen, nectar and insects. It is therefore an important pollinator of flowering plants and contributes to the spread of seeds. In Cuba and on the island of Pines, the Lesser Antilles fruit vampire is hunted by barn owls. Little is known about reproduction. Females can be pregnant between December and May.
distribution and habitat
The Lesser Antilles fruit vampire is found in the Cayman Islands , Cuba , Haiti and the Dominican Republic . Their population is classified as safe by the IUCN thanks to their wide distribution and likely large populations as well as their occurrence in protected areas.
literature
- P. Swanepoel, HH Genoways: Brachyphylla nana , Mammalian Species , No. 206: pp. 1-3 (1983). - Preview at JSTOR
