Guadeloupe big-eyed bat

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Guadeloupe big-eyed bat
Chiroderma improvisum.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Chiroderma
Species:
C. improvisum
Binomial name
Chiroderma improvisum
R.J Baker & Genoways, 1976

The Guadeloupe big-eyed bat (Chiroderma improvisum) is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Guadeloupe and Montserrat. It is threatened by habitat loss mostly because of Hurricane Hugo, which destroyed 90% of its population in 1989. The species may be locally extinct in some areas of Guadeloupe.

Contents

Taxonomy and etymology

The Guadeloupe big-eyed bat was described in 1976. The holotype was collected in July 1974 in Baie-Mahault commune of Basse-Terre Island. [2] Its species name is of Latin origin and means "unforeseen" or "unexpected." [3] Baker and Genoways chose this species name because they "did not expect to find Chiroderma on Guadeloupe because the nearest known representative from the Caribbean occurs on Trinidad and Tobago, 550 kilometers to the south." [2]

Baker and Genoways, when initially describing the species, speculated that it might be closely related to the Brazilian big-eyed bat, and that the current two species were relicts of a single, once-widespread species. Conversely, in the same paper, they conceded that the two species may be similar to each other only through convergent evolution. [2] However, in a 1994 study, Baker and others examined the mitochondrial DNA of the big-eyed bats and found that it is actually most closely related to the hairy big-eyed bat, which is its sister taxa. The Guadelouope big-eyed bat and the hairy big-eyed bat diverged from the Brazilian big-eyed bat and the little big-eyed bat around 2.6 million years ago. The Guadeloupe big-eyed bat then diverged from the hairy big-eyed bat 2.1 million years ago. [4]

Description

It is the largest member of its genus, Chiroderma . Its body length is 85–88 mm (3.3–3.5 in). Its forearm is 57.5 mm (2.26 in). Its nose-leaf is approximately 5.9 mm (0.23 in) long. Its hind foot is 15–17 mm (0.59–0.67 in) long, and its ear is 21–21.5 mm (0.83–0.85 in) long. Its fur has a woolly texture. Individual hairs are 10 mm (0.39 in) long on its back. Its hairs are mostly a pale brownish-gray; the bases of the hairs are darker, while the tips are a rich, dark brown. [3] Some individuals have a distinct white stripe down their backs. [2] In some individuals, the coloration of individual hairs is distinctly tricolored. Fur on its belly is grayish-brown, with individual hairs tipped in white. [3]

Biology

It is a diploid species, with 26 chromosomes. [3] Its Fundamental number is 48. [2] It is frugivorous. [5] Little is known about its reproduction. A lactating female was once encountered in July. [6] It is known to be parasitized by mites of the family Spinturnicidae ( Periglischrus iheringi ). This mite species is a common ectoparasite of leaf-nosed bats. [7]

Range and habitat

It has been documented on the islands of Guadeloupe and Montserrat, both of which are part of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. [3] In 2016, it was documented for the first time on Saint Kitts Island, which is also part of the Lesser Antilles. This discovery expanded the known range of the species by 80 km (50 mi). [7]

Conservation

It is currently evaluated as endangered by the IUCN. The 2016 listing as endangered was an uplisting from its 2008 listing as vulnerable. [1] In 2008, individuals of this species were captured in Montserrat, alleviating fears that it had gone extinct. [8] Before this individual was captured, the last Guadeloupe big-eyed bat documented on Montserrat was in 1984. It is thought that the bat species of Montserrat could be threatened by dramatic natural events, such as hurricanes and volcanic eruptions. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf-nosed bat</span> Family of bats

The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are bats found from southern North America to South America, specifically from the Southwest United States to northern Argentina. They are ecologically the most varied and diverse family within the order Chiroptera. Most species are insectivorous, but the phyllostomid bats include within their number true predatory species and frugivores. For example, the spectral bat, the largest bat in the Americas, eats vertebrate prey, including small, dove-sized birds. Members of this family have evolved to use food groups such as fruit, nectar, pollen, insects, frogs, other bats, and small vertebrates, and in the case of the vampire bats, even blood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican fruit bat</span> Species of bat

The Jamaican, common, or Mexican fruit bat is a frugivorous bat species native to the Neotropics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big-eared woolly bat</span> Species of mammals belonging to the New World leaf-nosed bat family

The big-eared woolly bat or (Peters's) woolly false vampire bat is a species of bat, belonging to the family Phyllostomidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian big-eyed bat</span> Species of bat

The Brazilian big-eyed bat is a species of phyllostomid bat from South America. The scientific name honours Italian naturalist Giacomo Doria.

<i>Micronycteris</i> Genus of bats

Micronycteris is a genus of leaf-nosed bats.

<i>Chiroderma</i> Genus of bats

Chiroderma – big-eyed bats or white-lined bats – is a genus of leaf-nosed bat found in North America, Central America, and South America and the Lesser Antilles.

<i>Anoura</i> Genus of bats

Anoura is a genus of leaf-nosed bats from Central and South America. Anoura members lack or have a short tail, and are nectarivorous bats of small to medium size among the Phyllostomidae.

The Guadeloupe big brown bat is a species of vesper bat. It is found only on the island of Guadeloupe. It is one of the eleven species of bat found on Guadeloupe, and one of three that are endemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genoways's yellow bat</span> Species of bat

Genoways's yellow bat is a species of vesper bat found only in Mexico. It is threatened by habitat loss. Due to its imperiled status, it is identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as a species in danger of imminent extinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western yellow bat</span> Species of foliage-roosting bat

The western yellow bat is a species of vesper bat found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. This species roosts in trees such as Populus fremontii, Platanus wrightii, and Quercus arizonica. If available, the western yellow bat will use the dead fronds that encircle palm trees as a roosting site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraternal fruit-eating bat</span> Species of bat from South America

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae that is found in drier habitats in Ecuador and Peru. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Jamaican fruit bat, but was raised to species level in 1978. The smallest species in the group of large Artibeus, it has a forearm length of 52–59 mm (2.0–2.3 in), a total length of 64–76 mm (2.5–3.0 in), and a weight of 30–55 g (1.1–1.9 oz).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernandez's sword-nosed bat</span> Species of bat

Fernandez's sword-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is the smallest species of the Lonchorhina genus. It is endemic to Venezuela. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation. It is threatened by habitat loss. It derives its scientific name from a Venezuelan zoologist, Dr. Alberto Fernandez Badillo, whose research focused on vampire bats, in particular.

The Thomas's yellow-shouldered bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is endemic to Guadeloupe.

<i>Rhogeessa</i> Genus of bats

Rhogeessa is a genus of bats within the vesper bats family, Vespertilionidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maternity colony</span> Temporary association of reproductive female bats

A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups. The colonies are initiated by pregnant bats. After giving birth, the colony consists of the lactating females and their offspring. After weaning, juveniles will leave the maternity colony, and the colony itself will break apart. The size of a maternity colony is highly variable by species, with some species forming colonies consisting of ten or fewer individuals, while the largest maternity colony in the world in Bracken Cave is estimated to have over 15 million bats.

Chiroderma vizottoi is a species of frugivorous bat found in the northeast of Brazil.

Sturnira angeli, also known as the Guadeloupe yellow-shouldered bat or Angel's yellow-shouldered bat, is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Antilles. As of 2018 it is listed as near threatened by the IUCN.

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References

  1. 1 2 Solari, S. (2016). "Chiroderma improvisum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T4665A22037238. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T4665A22037238.en . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Baker, R. J.; Genoways, H. H. (1976). "A new species of Chiroderma from Guadeloupe, West Indies (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)". Mammalogy Papers: University of Nebraska State Museum. 186 (39). Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, J. Knox; Baker, Robert J. (1980). "Chiroderma improvisum" (PDF). Mammalian Species (134): 1–2. doi:10.2307/3504068. JSTOR   3504068. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ Baker, R. J.; Taddei, V. A.; Hudgeons, J. L.; Van Den Bussche, R. A. (1994). "Systematic relationships within Chiroderma (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) based on cytochrome b sequence variation". Journal of Mammalogy. 75 (2): 321–327. doi:10.2307/1382550. JSTOR   1382550.
  5. 1 2 Pedersen, S. C.; Kwiecinski, G. G.; Larsen, P. A.; Morton, M. N.; Adams, R. A.; Genoways, H. H.; Swier, V. J. (2009). "Bats of Montserrat: population fluctuation and response to hurricanes and volcanoes, 1978–2005". In Fleming, Theodore H.; Racey, Paul A. (eds.). Island bats: evolution, ecology, and conservation. University of Chicago Press. pp. 302–340. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  6. ↑ Larsen, R. J.; Boegler, K. A.; Genoways, H. H.; Masefield, W. P.; Kirsch, R. A.; Pedersen, S. C. (2007). "Mist netting bias, species accumulation curves, and the rediscovery of two bats on Montserrat (Lesser Antilles)". Acta Chiropterologica. 9 (2): 423–435. doi:10.3161/1733-5329(2007)9[423:mnbsac]2.0.co;2. S2CID   4857455 . Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Beck, J. D.; Loftis, A. D.; Daly, J. L.; Reeves, W. K.; Orlova, M. V. (2016). "First record of Chiroderma improvisum Baker & Genoways, 1976 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from Saint Kitts, Lesser Antilles". Check List. 12 (2): 1854. doi: 10.15560/12.2.1854 . Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  8. ↑ Young, R. P. (2008). "Topic 9: Species recovery including captive breeding" (PDF). A biodiversity assessment of the Centre Hills, Montserrat (Report). Durrell conservation monograph. Vol. 1. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. pp. 323–324. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
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