Erophylla
| Erophylla | ||||||||||||
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Erophylla sezekorni planifrons |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Erophylla | ||||||||||||
| Gundlach , 1861 |
Erophylla is a genus of bats from the leaf-nosed family(Phyllostomidae), whichis nativeto the Greater Antilles .
The generic name is derived from " Eros ", the Greek god of love, and "Phyllon", Greek for "leaf". It is believed that this name was chosen because the nosepiece of the two species is supposed to look like a love arrow from Eros.
description
Species of the genus Erophylla are medium-sized bats with a head-trunk length of 65 to 75 mm. They have a tail and a rudimentary nasal blade. The fur is pale yellowish brown ( E. sezekorni ) or dark brown ( E. bombifrons ), depending on the species , with the belly being lighter than the rest of the fur. The snout is elongated similar to that of Glossophaga and Phyllonycteris . This is also the most important distinguishing feature from species of the genus Phyllonycteris , which also belong to the subfamily of the Antilles blossom bats and with which there is a risk of confusion when determining. The most important distinguishing feature is the presence of a calcar in Erophylla , which is absent in Phyllonycteris . In addition, the nasal sheet of Erophylla is always visible as a small flap of skin, while that of Phyllonycteris species is greatly reduced or completely absent.
Way of life
Like most bats, bats of the genus Erophylla are nocturnal. They feed on fruits, nectar, pollen and insects. Their diet makes this genus an important seed disperser and pollinator of many night-flowering plants. During the day, most of the animals hang in caves, where they can reach colony sizes of several thousand individuals.
species
A distinction is made between two types which, due to their separate occurrence, cannot be confused with one another.
- Brown-fronted blossom bat ( Erophylla bombifrons ): In the Dominican Republic , Haiti and Puerto Rico .
- Yellow-brown blossom bat ( Erophylla sezekorni ): In the Bahamas , Cuba , Jamaica and the Cayman Islands .
Distribution area of Erophylla bombifrons
Distribution area of Erophylla sezekorni
literature
- RM Nowak: Walker's Bats of the World , Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., ISBN 0-8018-4986-1 , p. 171.
