Sickle-winged bat
| Sickle-winged bat | ||||||||||||
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Sickle- winged bat ( Phyllops falcatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Phyllops | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1865 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Phyllops falcatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1839) |
The sickle-winged bat or Cuban fig bat ( Phyllops falcatus ) is a bat species from the leaf-nosed family (Phyllostomidae), which is native to the Greater Antilles . The genus is recently monotypical , Phyllops vetus and Phyllops silvai are other known fossil species.
description
The sickle-wing bat has a relatively short snout and white spots on the shoulder, two features that the species shares with the bats also endemic to the Greater Antilles, the tree bat ( Ardops nichollsi ), Ariteus flavescens and the red fruit vampire ( Stenoderma rufum ). These species were grouped together in a single genus ( Stenoderma ) until 1979 , but were soon assigned to individual genera, which has recently been confirmed on the basis of morphological and molecular data. The sickle-winged bat differs from other Caribbean fruit vampires mainly by the characteristics of the teeth and the concave lower jaw.
Phyllops falcatus is a medium-sized bat with a head-torso length of 55 to 65 mm, a forearm length of 40 to 48 mm, a wingspan of 315-365 mm and a weight of 16-23 g. Especially in Cuba , the females are much larger than the males. Like all representatives of the fruit vampires (subfamily Stenodermatinae), Phyllops falcatus does not have a tail. The species has a dense, silky fur of gray-brown color, the fur on the belly is usually lighter than that on the back. The single hair is 7-10 mm long and tricolored, with a dark base and tip, and a lighter middle part. The hair on the shoulder and the back of the ear are completely white. The nasal blade , which is typical of the members of the leaf-nose family , is broad and lanceolate. The ears are relatively short and round, the tragus thick and pink. The thumb is relatively long (9–12 mm) and the calcar short (3–5 mm). The tail membrane is narrow and hairy. The skin itself is black except for the transparent part between the middle and index finger. Phyllops falcatus has relatively short, wide wings, which makes the species a slow, agile flier. The echolocation calls are short (4.5–5.3 ms) and range between 23 and 73 kHz. They are therefore not audible to the human ear. The range of calls of the sickle-winged bat is broad compared to other Cuban bat species, which makes the species easily identifiable acoustically.
Way of life
The sickle-winged bat comes at a maximum height of 680 m. ü. M. and inhabited mainly wooded areas. Like most bats, the species is nocturnal and feeds mainly on fruits such as the ant tree Cecropia scheberiana or the rose apple ( Syzygium jambos ). This diet makes the bat species an important seed disperser for various plants. During the day the species can be found in the foliage of various trees such as the American mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla ), where it forms small groups of 3–5 individuals. Phyllops falcatus is polyestrial .
distribution and habitat
The sickle-winged bat is found in Hispaniola and Cuba . The species is classified as harmless by the IUCN .
literature
- V. da Cunha Tavares, CA Mancina (2008): Phyllops falcatus . In: Mammalian Species , No. 811, pp. 1-7