Nose bat
| Nose bat | ||||||||||||
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Nose bat ( Rhynchonycteris naso ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Rhynchonycteris | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1867 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Rhynchonycteris naso | ||||||||||||
| ( Wied-Neuwied , 1820) |
The nasal bat ( Rhynchonycteris naso ) is a bat species from the family of the smooth-nosed free-tailed bat (Emballonuridae), which is native to Central and South America.
description
The nose bat, with an average weight of 4 g, is one of the smaller tropical bats. Their fur is gray-brown with two pale, light wavy lines on their backs. Her arms are hairy like a striped pattern. Striking and eponymous with this species is the trunk-like elongated nose. The scientific name of the genus is derived from the Greek words ῥύγχος rhynchos ("nose", "snout") and νυκτερίς nycteris ("bat"). The species name naso comes from Latin and also refers to the nose.
Way of life
The nasal bat hangs in mixed-sex colonies near slowly flowing waters during the day. Unlike most bats, nose bats do not hang on horizontal, but on vertical surfaces such as tree bark and rocks. 3–45 animals often form a long vertical line. When the wind comes up, the animals rock from side to side, probably to imitate moving leaves and thus to be better camouflaged against predators .
Although the colony usually has as many males as females, it is assumed that there is one dominant male per group. This dominant male also visits the hanging place at night, while other animals in the group usually stay away from the hanging place all night. Nose bats feed exclusively on insects . Foraging flights usually take place over the water at a height of up to 3 meters. The colonies have their own areas for foraging: while older females and young animals search for food in the center of these areas, males and young females stay on the edge of the area. It has also been observed that nasal bats sometimes fourage in pairs (tandems). The dominant male flies on the borders of the colony's feeding area and chases away individuals from other colonies. With this territorial behavior, the dominant male defends the female against conspecifics. The ringed boa and the large orb spider species Argiope savignyi have been observed as predators of the nasal bat .
Reproduction
Female nose bats can become pregnant up to twice a year and give birth to one young at a time. A new pregnancy can occur during the suckling period of the first annual cub. The young animals are already relatively large at birth and reach the size of a full-grown animal after just two weeks. After 2-4 months, the young are weaned from the mother, whereupon it migrates and mostly joins neighboring colonies.
distribution and habitat
The distribution of the nasal bat ranges from Mexico to Central America to Peru and Bolivia . Thanks to its widespread use, the IUCN classifies its population as stable and safe.
literature
- DL Plumpton & JK Jones Jr .: Rhynchonycteris naso , Mammalian Species , No. 413 (1992): pp. 1-5. - Preview at JSTOR
swell
- ↑ M. Knörnschild, C. Harview, R. Moseley, O. von Helversen. 2009. Remaining Cryptic During Motion - Behavioral Synchrony in the Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso). Acta Chiropterologica 11. pp. 208-211
- ^ JW Bradbury & SL Vehrencamp. 1976. Social organization and foraging in emballonurid bats. I. Field studies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 1. pp. 227-281
- ^ JW Bradbury & SL Vehrencamp. 1976. Social organization and foraging in emballonurid bats. I. Field studies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 1. pp. 227-281
- ↑ Rhynchonycteris naso in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
