Large-ear leaf noses
| Large-ear leaf noses | ||||||||||||
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Macrotus californicus |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Macrotus | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1843 |
The large ear leaf noses ( Macrotus ) are a species of bat from the subfamily of the lance noses (Phyllostominae). The genus is divided into two types.
description
The fur of the large-eared noses is gray-brown on the upper side, the underside is lighter. The short, wide wings and the long tail, the tip of which protrudes from the uropatagium (the skin between the legs), are characteristic of the body. The name-giving large ears have grown together at the top and have transverse grooves, the nasal blade is erect and is reminiscent of an arrowhead. Big-eared bats reach a head body length of 50 to 70 millimeters, the tail becomes 35 to 41 millimeters, and the weight of the animals is 12 to 20 grams.
Distribution and way of life
Large ear leaf noses are among the most common representatives of the leaf noses to the north. Their distribution area includes the southwest of the USA , Mexico , the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas . As a habitat they primarily prefer dry areas, but are also found in rainforests in the Antilles.
Like most bats, these animals are nocturnal. During the day they sleep in groups of often several hundred animals in caves, mines or buildings in order to be able to search for food at night. Their diet consists primarily of insects, but they also eat cactus fruits.
Mating takes place in autumn, but embryo growth is delayed, so that most of the young are born between May and July. Usually a single young is born, which is weaned after about a month. Life expectancy can be around ten years.
The species
- Waterhouse's big-eared nose ( Macrotus waterhousii ) lives in Mexico , the Greater Antilles ( Cuba , Jamaica , Hispaniola ), the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas .
- California big-eared nose ( Macrotus californicus ) is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The IUCN lists the species as endangered.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
