Big-eared woolly bat
| Big-eared woolly bat | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chrotopterus auritus , stuffed specimen |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Chrotopterus | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1865 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Chrotopterus auritus | ||||||||||||
| (Peters, 1856) |
The big-eared woolly bat or Peter's woolly-faced bat ( Chrotopterus auritus ) is a species of bat from the leaf-nosed family (Phyllostomidae), which is native to Central and South America.
description
With a body weight of 75 to 96 g, the big-eared woolly bat is one of the largest bats in the world. The total length is 110–125 mm. Only three other bat species that are also found in the New World are of comparable size: the Great Lance Nose , Phylloderma stenops and the Great Spike-Leaf Nose . The fur on the back of the big-eared wool bat is about 12 mm long, more than twice as long as that of the three other similarly sized species. It also has larger ears (> 40 mm), which are not connected to each other. The tragus is small and pointed. The fur is dense and woolly, black-gray or brown, and therefore darker than that of Phylloderma stenops and the large lance nose. The thumbs are long and end in a long, curved claw. The forearms are very hairy. The short tail (<15 mm) is completely embedded in the tail membrane. The nasal blade is long and wide and the eyes are relatively large.
Way of life
The big-eared woolly bat lives in tropical and subtropical rainforests . Like most bats, it is nocturnal. During the day it hangs in groups of one to seven individuals in caves, mines, abandoned buildings, hollow termite nests and hollow trees. Their diet consists of insects and small vertebrates like small lizards of the genus Thecadactylus , small doves of the genus Columbina , Antbirds , tanagers , shrews , shrew opossum and mice . Small mammals are killed by a neck or throat bite, while birds are killed by a bite to the upper head. The maximum weight of the prey is 70 g. Other bat species probably also belong to the prey spectrum of the big-eared woolly bat.
As with many other leaf noses , one cub is born per litter. The mating season will likely vary with the region, but it is assumed that the animals only come into the oestrus once a year .
distribution and habitat
The big-eared woolly bat occurs from southern Mexico to northern Argentina , with the exception of the Andean regions. Thanks to its widespread use, the IUCN classifies its population as safe.
literature
- RA Medellín (1989): Chrotopterus auritus , Mammalian Species, No. 343, pp. 1-5.
swell
Web links
Pictures of the big-eared woolly bat:
