Lance noses
| Lance noses | ||||||||||||
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California big-eared nose ( Macrotus californicus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phyllostominae | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1825 |
The lance noses (Phyllostominae) are a group of bats that are systematically classified as a subfamily of the leaf noses . This group includes around 35 species in 16 genera, all of which live on the American continent .
description
The name-giving feature of the lance noses is the large, often sword-shaped or lance-shaped nosepiece , which is particularly pronounced in the sword noses . The ears are also greatly enlarged in many species, in addition they often have transverse grooves and a pointed tragus (ear cover). These traits are all used to send or receive ultrasonic sounds that they use to orient themselves and find their prey. The tail is usually long and the uropatagium (the flight membrane between the legs) is enlarged. Their fur is usually grayish or brown in color, the underside is lighter, sometimes even whitish. There are significant differences in size: the large spit-leaf nose or the actual lance nose are among the largest bats in the world, they reach a head body length of up to 14 centimeters and a weight of 150 to 200 grams. Many species, on the other hand, are small, animals of the genus Micronycteris or the long-legged bat only reach body lengths of four to six centimeters and often weigh only four to ten grams.
Distribution and way of life
Lance noses live in America. Most of the species are restricted to Central and South America , only the big- eared bats are also found in the southern USA and the Greater Antilles . These bats inhabit a multitude of habitats ; they can be found in dry desert regions , in grasslands as well as in subtropical and tropical rainforests . Like most bats, they are nocturnal, during the day they sleep - sometimes in large groups - in caves , hollow tree trunks and man-made dwellings such as mines, tunnels or buildings.
Lance noses are usually omnivorous . While the smaller species mainly feed on insects and fruits, large species (such as the large spit-leaf nose or the fringed-lipped bat) also eat vertebrates, including other bats, opossums , rodents , birds , lizards and frogs .
Systematics
The lance noses are classified in the traditional system as a subfamily of the leaf noses (Phyllostomidae), a group of bats with a rich variety of shapes, to which the vampire bats also belong. This group can be divided into the following genera:
- Big-eared woolly bat ( Chrotopterus auritus )
- Large ear leaf noses ( Macrotus ), two types
- Sword noses ( Lonchorhina ), four species
- Long-legged bat ( Macrophyllum macrophyllum )
- Micronycteris , eight species
- Hair-nosed bats ( Mimon ), four species
- Peter's spit leaf nose ( Phylloderma stenops )
- Actual lance noses ( Phyllostomus ), four species
- Tonatia , two kinds
- Lophostoma , seven species
- Fringed-lipped bat ( Trachops cirrhosus )
- Large spit-leaf nose ( Vampyrum spectrum )
- Glyphonycteris
- Lampronycteris
- Neonycteris
- Trinycteris
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0801857899 .
