Cuba flower bat
| Cuba flower bat | ||||||||||||
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Cuban blossom bat ( Phyllonycteris poeyi ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phyllonycteris poeyi | ||||||||||||
| ( Gundlach , 1861) |
The Cuban blossom bat ( Phyllonycteris poeyi ) is a bat species from the leaf-nosed family (Phyllostomidae), which is native to the Greater Antilles . The species is named after the Cuban naturalist Felipe Poey .
description
The Cuba flower bat is a medium-sized bat with a forearm length of 42–51 mm, a wingspan of 294–350 mm and a weight of 15–29 g. The males are generally slightly larger than the females. The nasal leaf is rudimentary and the lower lip has a group with wart-like protuberances (papillae) in the middle. The tail membrane is narrow and there is no calcar . The tail is relatively short (6 to 18 mm) and protrudes only 1 to 7 mm from the tail membrane. The ears are 12-16 mm long. The fur is grayish-white and has a silky texture that reflects light in a silver color. The wings are relatively wide, which makes this species an agile, relatively slow flyer. The flight speed is about 6.7 km / h.
The Cuba blossom bat differs from its sister species, the Jamaica blossom bat ( Phyllonycteris aphylla ), mainly in features of the skull . In contrast to P. aphylla , Phyllonycteris poeyi has a slight edge running lengthways over the skull. The base of the skull of P. aphylla is also unique to mammals in that the skull is above the normal position and forms a deep, elongated pit. P. aphylla also has a slimmer snout than Phyllonycteris poeyi . Like most flower bats , Phyllonycteris poeyi also has a long, retractable tongue with bristle-like papillae at the tip. This is a dietary adjustment.
Way of life
The Cuban flower bat is one of the most common bats in Cuba. Like most bats , the species is nocturnal, leaving its hiding spots 32 to 71 minutes after sunset and returning 14 to 95 minutes before sunrise. Like other flower bats, it feeds mainly on nectar and pollen from night-flowering plants, but also eats fruits and occasionally insects. It is therefore an important pollinator of flowering plants and contributes to the spread of seeds. Phyllonycteris poeyi feeds, among other things, on nectar of Agave grisea , the caesalpinia Caesalpinia bahamensis and vesicaria C. , the Palm genus Coccothrinax and the royal palm ( Roystonea regia ), the cactus plants Dendrocereus nudiflorus , Harrisia , Leptocereus and Selenicereus , the mimosa Dichrostachys cinerea , hibiscus , the African tulip tree ( Spathodea campanulata ). The fruits consumed include those of the ant tree Cecropia schreberiana , the black- mouthed Conostegia xalapensis , the lantana trifolia , the pepper Piper aduncum and the nightshade plant Solanum umbellatum . The wing tips are relatively poorly developed for a flower bat , which is why the species is not capable of hovering. However, she has very long legs and is agile on all fours. In order to eat, the bat neatly lands next to the flower or next to the fruit on the branch of the plant.
In flight, the species produces relatively long echolocation calls of up to 7.2 ms at a height of around 50 kHz for bats . In environments with many obstacles, the calls become shorter and the frequency is modulated .
The Cuban blossom bat spends the day in large groups of several thousand animals in the deep areas of caves, which are usually only accessible through a single, very narrow entrance. The air circulation is correspondingly low and the humidity is high (> 90%). The temperatures can fluctuate between 28 and 40 ° C and are significantly influenced by the presence of the animals. Other species of bats such as Brachyphylla nana , Erophylla sezekorni , Pteronotus quadridens , P. macleayii and P. parnellii are occasionally found in the caves .
The Cuban blossom bat is mono-estrous and gives birth to one young each year. The animals mate in December, pregnant females are found between February and June and the suckling period takes place between June and September. At birth, the cubs weigh about 5 g and have a forearm length of about 22 mm. The young are hairless.
Known predators include the barn owl ( Tyto alba ), the styx owl ( Asio stygius ), the Cuban slender boa ( Epicrates angulifer ), the Cuban slippery snake ( Alsophis cantherigerus ) and domestic cats .
distribution and habitat
The Cuban blossom bat occurs in Cuba and Haiti as well as in the Dominican Republic . The species is classified as harmless by the IUCN .
literature
- CA Mancina (2010): Phyllonycteris poeyi . In: Mammalian Species , No. 42 (852), pp. 41-48
