Southern yellow bat
| Southern yellow bat | ||||||||||||
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Preparation in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lasiurus ega | ||||||||||||
| ( Gervais , 1856) |
The southern yellow bat or southern yellow bat ( Lasiurus ega ) is a species of bat from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae) that is native to South America.
The generic name Lasiurus is Greek and means "hairy tail". The species name ega refers to a region in the Amazon , Brazil where the holotype was caught.
description
Lasiurus ega is a relatively small bat, weighing an average of 6 g for males and 8 g for females. The total length is 111–132 mm, the forearm length 42.9–48.9 mm. The sexual dimorphism is more pronounced than in other smooth noses , probably as an adaptation of the females to the relatively high number of juveniles per litter for bats. The coat color varies from yellowish to orange, with the belly being slightly lighter than the back. As in all representatives of the genus of the red bats, the tail fly skin is densely hairy. The ears are short and round.
Way of life
Like most bats, Lasiurus ega is nocturnal and feeds on insects. During the day, the species usually hangs individually on the central panicle of large leaves, often under palm fronds. In addition to fan palms , the species also likes to use banana and mango trees as hanging places. Sometimes you can also find animals in thatched roofs. It is assumed that Lasiurus ega, like its sister species, the red bat and the ice-gray bat , belong to the migrating bats. Northern populations migrate south in autumn to overwinter there. However, some animals also stay in northern regions and hibernate there .
Reproduction
The mating season of Lasiurus ega takes place in the population in Paraguay in May, whereby the females store the sperm for up to three months. The ovulation takes place only in August, after which the egg is fertilized by the stored sperm. As with other representatives of the genus of red bats , males and females in the temperate latitudes probably mate in autumn, while fertilization of the egg takes place in winter and the birth of the offspring in summer. After a gestation period of 3–3.5 months, the female gives birth to 1–4 naked, blind cubs. The suckling period is at least 60 days.
distribution
Lasiurus ega occurs from the southern end of Texas to central Argentina , although it is absent in the Andean region and the Sierra Madre in Mexico . The IUCN has rated the species as harmless thanks to its widespread distribution and its occurrence in protected areas.
literature
- A. Kurta, GC Lehr (1995): Lasiurus ega. In: Mammalian Species . No. 515, pp. 1-7.
swell
- ^ Lasiurus ega in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
