White ghost bat
| White ghost bat | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
White ghost bat ( Diclidurus albus ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Diclidurus albus | ||||||||||||
| ( Wied-Neuwied , 1820) |
The white ghost bat ( Diclidurus albus ) is a species of bat in the genus of the American ghost bat ( Diclidurus ), which is native to the tropics of Central and South America.
description
The white ghost bat is, besides the white bat, the only bat species whose fur is completely white. The Latin species name albus means "white" and refers to the color of the fur. The flight skin is unpigmented, but appears pink due to the many blood vessels. The face is almost hairless. Adults weigh between 17 and 24 g.
Way of life
Very little is known about the way of life of the white ghost bat. Throughout the year, the animals live mostly solitary, and in January and February they come together in groups of up to four animals - usually one male with several females. During the day, individual animals hang under palm leaves, where they are surprisingly well camouflaged due to their white color. It is assumed that predators perceive the animals as gaps in the leaf through which the sun shines, or that they mistake the bat for a nest of paper wasps of the genus Polybia .
Like all smooth-nosed free-tails , the white ghost bat is a pure insect eater. The foraging flights take place high above the canopy, which is why this species is rarely caught in nets close to the ground.
Reproduction
Mating is likely to take place in January and February, when males and females can be found together in hanging places. Females pregnant with one juvenile each were caught between January and June, which is why it is assumed that the white ghost bat is monostrous .
distribution and habitat
The distribution of the white ghost bat ranges from Mexico to Central America to Brazil and Trinidad . The IUCN classifies its population as stable and safe because of its wide distribution.
literature
- Gerardo Ceballos & RA Medellín: Diclidurus albus , Mammalian Species , No. 316 (1988): pp. 1-4
swell
- ↑ Diclidurus albus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species