| Anoura peruana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Phyllostomidae |
| Genus: | Anoura |
| Species: | A. peruana |
| Binomial name | |
| Anoura peruana Tschudi, 1844 | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Anoura peruana is a species of bat from Colombia and Peru. It was elevated to a species in 2010, after previously being considered a subspecies of Geoffroy's tailless bat (A. geoffroyi). [2] The females are larger than the males. [3]
It was described as a new species in 1844 by Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschudi. Tschudi initially placed it in the genus Glossophaga and the subgenus Choeronycteris, with a scientific name of Glossophaga (Choeronycteris) peruana. [4] Beginning in 1878 at latest, it was published as synonymous with Geoffroy's tailless bat. [5] In 2010, however, researchers concluded that A. peruana was morphologically distinct enough to be considered a full species. Its species name "peruana" means "Peruvian."
Several characters were used to differentiate A. peruana from Geoffroy's tailless bat. A. peruana has a larger skull; its zygomatic arches are incomplete; its uropatagium is smaller; and its fur is darker.
It is a nectarivorous species of bat. Species of flowers that it visits includes Siphocampylus giganteus , Bomarea multiflora , Leonotis nepetifolia , and Lamourouxia virgata . It could be an important pollen disperser in its ecosystem, as large amounts of pollen have been detected on individuals. [6]
It is found in several countries in South America, including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is found at mid- to high-elevation regions of the Andes. [3]
