Trinidad funnel tube
| Trinidad funnel tube | ||||||||||||
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Trinidad funnel-shaped ear ( Natalus tumidirostris ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Natalus tumidirostris | ||||||||||||
| Miller , 1900 |
The Trinidad funnel tube ( Natalus tumidirostris ) is a bat in the funnel tube family . It can easily be confused with the straw-yellow funnel tube ( Natalus stamineus ).
features
With a head-torso length of 35 to 45 mm and a forearm length of about 38 mm, the species is the same size as other members of the genus. The tail is longer than the rest of the body with a length of 43 to 60 mm. Females are slightly heavier than males, weighing between 4.5 and 8.9 g. The latter weigh 4.3 to 8.6 g. The red-brown fur is longer and darker on top than on the underside. The species has the funnel-shaped ears and small eyes typical of the family. Thick lips and a longer beard on the upper lip are noticeable. One nasal sheet is missing. As with other funnel tubes, males have a bump-shaped sensory organ on their foreheads, the functioning of which has not yet been adequately researched.
distribution
Regardless of the common German name, this bat is also found outside of Trinidad and Tobago . The distribution area extends from eastern Colombia via Venezuela to the Guyana region . The Trinidad funnel tube continued to be registered on Isla Margarita , Curaçao and Bonaire . It can be found in the lowlands and in mountains up to 1000 meters above sea level. Further south in the Amazon basin there are no karst landscapes that offer suitable caves.
The habitat varies between dry deciduous forests, wet forests and arid landscapes with cacti and bushes. Gardens and plantations are popular.
Way of life
The Trinidad funnel tube rests in caves where predominantly dark areas are sought. It forms large colonies that can consist of a thousand or more specimens. Within the colony there are smaller groups that keep a little distance from each other. Occasionally there are mixed colonies with the nose ( Carollia perspicillata ). The bats forage for food between the end of dusk and the beginning of dawn. They usually fly close to the bottom and use their tail skin as a landing net. The prey is mainly recognized with the help of echolocation , whereby hearing is used to a lesser extent. Soft insects serve as food, which the bat eats on site. The Trinidad funnel tube cannot go without food for more than 20 hours.
The colonies are mixed-sex outside of the breeding season. After mating, females are 3 months pregnant, usually from February to April with certain regional differences. During this time, females form their own colonies. A short time after the birth of the young animals, they remain alone in hiding when the females are looking for food.
status
The species is sensitive to disturbances in the resting place. The IUCN lists the Trinidad funnel pipe as Least Concern , mainly due to its large distribution area .
supporting documents
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Natalus tumidirostris ).
- ↑ a b c d e Natalus tumidirostris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Davalos, L., Velazco, P. & Aguirre, L., 2016. Accessed May 13, 2017th
- ↑ a b c Gomes & Reid: Trinidadian Funnel-eared Bat ( en , pdf) Conserving the bats of Trinidad. Retrieved May 13, 2017.