Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat

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Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Natalidae
Genus: Natalus
Species:
N. major
Binomial name
Natalus major
(Miller, 1902)
Haiti-Dominican Republic.png

The Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat (Natalus major) is a funnel-eared bat species endemic to the island of Hispaniola (in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti) in the Caribbean. [2] First described in 1902, it has a complex taxonomic history, with some authors identifying multiple subspecies, now recognised as the separate species Natalus primus and Natalus jamaicensis , and others considering Natalus major to be itself a subspecies of Natalus stramineus . It lives primarily in caves and feeds on insects.

Contents

Taxonomy

The Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat was first described scientifically in 1902 by Gerrit Miller as Natulus major. [3] The holotype was the skin and skull of a male preserved in alcohol, which was collected "near Savanata", [4] presumed to mean Sabaneta. [5] The Cuban greater funnel-eared bat (Natalus primus), described in 1919, [6] has been considered a subspecies of N. major: N. major primus, [7] but is now recognised as a different species by the IUCN. [8] Similarly, N. major jamaicensis, described in 1959, [9] is now recognised as a distinct species: Natalus jamaicensis . [10] Previous reports of Natalus on the island had also been referred considered Natulus major. [11]

The genus Natalus was traditionally placed into three subgenera: Natalus, Chilonatalus and Nyctielleus. [11] Within this taxonomy, the N. major was placed in the subgenus Natalus, along with the genus's type species the N. stramineus and N. tumidirostris . [7] However, morphological analyses in the 2000s supported promoting the subgenera to generic status. [11] The genus is characterised by the large, bell-shaped and face-covering natalid organ, by features of the ears and by osteological differences between it and its relatives. N. major can be distinguished from other members of its genus by its larger size and differing distribution. [7] However, some authors have argued that the N. major should be considered conspecific with the N. stramineus, [12] and conservative estimations that some or all Natalidae species were in fact forms of N. stramineus were common. [13] Recent studies which have included N. major within N. stramineus include those by Hugh Genoways and colleagues, [14] supported by a later paper which claimed that there were no "structural" differences between the populations. [13] A 2005 study conducted by Adrian Tejedor and colleagues concluded the three populations of Natalus were distinct to a degree that they should be considered separate species, and so the author offered new descriptions of the three. [4]

Description

The Mexican funnel-eared bat, which is nearly morphologically identical to the Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat but for the latter's greater size. NatalusStramineusFord.jpg
The Mexican funnel-eared bat, which is nearly morphologically identical to the Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat but for the latter's greater size.

The Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat is similar in appearance to a larger version of the Mexican funnel-eared bat (Natalus stramineus). [7] The two species have such similar morphology that in his original description of the Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat, Miller declined to offer a description of its physical appearance, writing "Except for its greater size, Natalus major so closely resembles specimens of N. stramineus from Dominica as to require no detailed description." [3]

The Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat has a forearm length of between 40 and 45 millimetres (1.6 and 1.8 in). [7] The fur covering the body of the species is soft and moderately long, with a wool-like texture at the base. The upperparts are tawny-olive, while the underparts, and the base of the hairs, are pink-buff. The membranes on the wing are umber. The large natalid organ (the structure located on the forehead) is bell-shaped. No sexual dimorphism is apparent. [7]

Distribution, habitat and ecology

The species is found widely [1] throughout the island of Hispaniola, in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. [4] Previous reports of the species from Jamaica [7] and other islands are now recognised as records of separate species. [11] For the most part, the species is found in caves, though a record from a hollow tree is also known. Due to the delicate wing membrane, it is assumed that the species requires relatively humid caves for daytime roosting. [1]

The Hispaniolan greater funnel-eared bat is insectivorous, [1] like all members of its genus. [11] Individuals are assumed to forage in dense vegetation over a limited range near their preferred roost. No information on reproduction is known. [1]

Conservation status

The IUCN has categorised the species as "Near Threatened" as, although reasonably well distributed, the caves upon which it relies are a fragile habitat. Among the threats are tourists damaging cave ecosystems, mining, and guano extraction. The IUCN's recommended conservation action is simply "protect the caves". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalidae</span> Family of bats

The family Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats, are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family has three genera, Chilonatalus, Natalus and Nyctiellus. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as their name suggests, funnel-shaped ears. They are small, at only 3.5 to 5.5 cm in length, with brown, grey, or reddish fur. Like many other bats, they are insectivorous, and roost in caves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican funnel-eared bat</span> Species of bat (Natalus stramineus)

The Mexican funnel-eared bat is a bat species. Despite its name, it is native to the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban funnel-eared bat</span> Species of bat

The Cuban funnel-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Natalidae. It is one of two species within the genus Chilonatalus and is found only in the Caribbean.

The Bahaman funnel-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Natalidae.

<i>Natalus</i> Genus of bats

The genus Natalus of funnel-eared bats is found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as their name suggests, funnel-shaped ears. They are small, at only 3.5 to 5.5 cm in length, with brown, grey, yellow, or reddish fur. Their tail is completely enclosed in the interfemoral membrane. Adult males have a natalid organ, a large glad-like organ, on the muzzle or face. Their skulls are delicate and extended. They have swollen, rounded braincase and narrow, somewhat tubular rostrum. They have nineteen teeth on both sides, with two upper and three lower being incisors, one upper and lower canine, three upper and lower premolars, and three upper and lower molars. Like many other bats, they are insectivorous, and roost in caves. The genus is similar to the Furipteridae and Thyropteridae genera. All three genera have mostly the same geographic ranges.

<i>Vampyressa</i> Genus of bats

Vampyressa is a genus of bats in the family Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats. They are known commonly as the yellow-eared bats or yellow-eared vampire bats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian funnel-eared bat</span>

The Brazilian funnel-eared bat is a bat species found in eastern Brazil and in Paraguay. It roosts in caves, which makes it vulnerable to disturbance of these scarce sites, and in particular, to extermination campaigns against cave-roosting bats carried out in Brazil to combat rabies.

The Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat is a species of funnel-eared bat found in Jamaica. It was first described as the subspecies Natalus major jamaicensis, later as a subspecies of Natalus stramineus, and more recently as its own species. It is of a similar appearance to many species of the genus Natalus. It lives solely in St. Clair Cave in Jamaica and feeds on insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban greater funnel-eared bat</span> Species of bat

The Cuban greater funnel-eared bat is a species of funnel-eared bat. It is endemic to a cave in westernmost Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican greater funnel-eared bat</span> Species of bat

The Mexican greater funnel-eared bat is a species of bat found in Central America. While initially and currently described as a species, from 1959 to 2006 it was considered a subspecies of the Mexican funnel-eared bat, Natalus stramineus.

The Lesser Antillean funnel-eared bat is a subspecies of the Mexican funnel-eared bat found to be endemic to the Lesser Antilles islands of the Caribbean.

Chilonatalus macer is a species of bat endemic to Cuba.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Miller, B.; Reid, F. (2016). "Natalus major". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136548A21992984. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136548A21992984.en . Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 431. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. 1 2 3 Miller, Gerrit S. (1902). "Twenty new American bats". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 54 (2): 389–412. See pp. 398–9. JSTOR   4062747.
  4. 1 2 3 Tejedor, Tavares and Silva-Taboada 2005, p. 4.
  5. ↑ Tejedor, Tavares and Silva-Taboada 2005, p. 21.
  6. ↑ Anthony, Harold Elmer (1919). "Mammals collected in eastern Cuba in 1917: with descriptions of two new species". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 41: 625–643, 3 plates. hdl:2246/1358.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hoyt, Reginald A.; Baker, Robert J. (1980). "Natalus major" (PDF). Mammalian Species (130): 1–3. doi:10.2307/3503782. JSTOR   3503782. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  8. ↑ Miller, B.; Reid, F. (2016). "Natalus major". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136548A21992984. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136548A21992984.en . Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Goodwin, George G. (1959). "Bats of the subgenus Natalus" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (1977): 1–22.
  10. ↑ Solari, S. (2016). "Natalus jamaicensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136824A22043871. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T136824A22043871.en . Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Tejedor, Tavares and Silva-Taboada 2005, p. 2.
  12. ↑ Koopman, Karl F. (1975). "Bats of the Virgin Islands in relation to those of the Greater and Lesser Antilles". American Museum Novitates (2581): 1–7. hdl:2246/2001.
  13. 1 2 Tejedor, Tavares and Silva-Taboada 2005, p. 3.
  14. ↑ Genoways, Hugh H.; Timm, Robert R.; Baker, Robert J.; Phillips, Carleton J.; Schlitter, Duane A. (2001). "Bats of the West Indian island of Dominica: Natural history, areography, and trophic structure". Museum of Texas Tech University Special Publications. 43: 1–43.

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