| Northern ghost bat | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Emballonuridae |
| Genus: | Diclidurus |
| Species: | D. albus |
| Binomial name | |
| Diclidurus albus Wied-Neuwied, 1820 | |
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| Northern ghost bat range | |
The northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) is a bat species from South America, Trinidad, and Central America. It is a relatively rare, completely white, insectivorous bat, with an unusual sac at the base of its tail.
The northern ghost bat is a member of the family Emballonuridae in the order Chiroptera. It is considered medium-sized for its genus, Diclidurus . [2] It is pure white to pale grey in color, with some dark-grey basal pelage. [2] In stark contrast to other members of the family Emballonuridae, it does not have wing-sacs, but rather, a large glandular structure located centrally with respect to its uropatagium. [2] The species derives its name from its habitual locale and glandular form. [2] Diclidurus is from the Latin word diclid, or two-valved, which describes the multi-chambered nature of its uropatagium gland. [2]
The northern ghost bat can be distinguished from other members of its genus by the presence of a vestigial thumb with a near-absent claw. [2] Amongst the northern ghost bat population, sexual dimorphism is present. [2] Specifically, males tend to be slightly larger in size when compared to females. [2] Diclidurus albus is intermediate in weight relative to other members of the family Emballonuridae. [3]
The northern ghost bat has a widely shaped clavicle bone, with large areas of attachment for the pectoralis muscle. [2] It also has a large glandular structure on its uropatagium. [2] The functional significance of this glandular structure is thought to be analogous to that of wing sacs in other emballonurids. [2] When breeding, the wing sacs of other emballonurids become enlarged to attract females. [2]
The penis of the northern ghost bat does not employ a baculum, but rather, is composed of four cartilaginous bodies. [2] It is about 5.5 mm long and 3.1 mm in diameter. [2] The glans penis is white in color, and the prepuce is encased in a layer of short, fine hair. [2] The testes are spindle-like in shape, symmetrical, and enclosed in a black tunica. [2] In females, the ovaries are ovoid in shape and are roughly 2.8 mm long and 0.8 mm in diameter. [2]
Northern ghost bats inhabit tropical and coastal forests, and frequently roost in caves, in the open, or in palm trees. [2] [4] [5] When roosting in palm trees, individual bats tend to occupy the space closest to the rachis (stem) of the palm frond. [2] Hanging bats are inconspicuous, and mirror the appearance of a wasp's nest. [2] Roosts can be found in caves, deep rock crevices, and old mines. Although ghost bats prefer to roost in colonies, they currently only roost in small groups at best due to a lack of roosting sites that support larger colonies; colonies of more than 100 bats in one location are rarely seen. It often roosts singly under palm leaves.
The distribution of the northern ghost bat is confined to the neotropics. [2] Its range extends as far north as the tropical mainland of Mexico and as far south as the tropics of Brazil. [2] [3] Its distribution is limited relative to other members of its genus. [2] Altitudinally, it lives within the sea-level to 1500 m range. [2]
Diclidurus albus is an insectivore that feeds primarily on moths. [2] It flies high above the ground in open spaces when feeding, usually in a straight fashion. [2] [6] In Costa Rica, it is known to sing when feeding. [2] The sounds that it makes during its songs are thought to be unique to the genus. [2]
Emballonuridae is a family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from the Eocene.
The white-winged vampire bat, a species of vampire bat, is the only member of the genus Diaemus. They are found from Mexico to northern Argentina and are present on the islands of Trinidad and Margarita.
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The short-eared bat is a bat species found in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guyana and Nicaragua. It is the only species within its genus.
The lesser ghost bat is a bat species found in South America. It is one of six bat species worldwide to have white fur.
The lesser sac-winged bat or lesser white-lined bat is a bat species of the family Emballonuridae from South and Middle America.
Diclidurus is a genus of bats whose common name is the ghost bats. Diclidurus all inhabit tropical South America, and D. albus is also found in Mexico and Central America. The fur of these insectivorous bats is white, sometimes with a slight greyish tinge, except D. isabella, which is partially pale brown. The only other all-white bat in the New World is the Honduran white bat, but it is easily distinguished from Diclidurus by its relatively large nose leaf. Diclidurus are poorly known and only infrequently captured, at least in part because they fly high above the ground or in the forest canopy.
The eastern red bat is a species of microbat in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern red bats are widespread across eastern North America, with additional records in Bermuda.
The gray sac-winged bat is a species in the family Emballonuridae which comprises the 51 species of sac-winged bats. It is found in Mexico from Baja California Sur and Sonora to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and northern Colombia, at elevations up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).
The western or inland broad-nosed bat is a species of vespertilionid bats. They are endemic to Australia and widespread throughout the inland, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This insectivorous microbat, measuring 12 cm in length, roosts in tree hollows during the day and forages over woodland and water at night.
Finlayson's cave bat is a species of vespertilionid bat found only in Australia.
The southern forest bat is a vespertilionid bat found in Australia.
The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat, also known as the yellow-bellied sheathtail or yellow-bellied pouched bat, is a microbat species of the family Emballonuridae found extensively in Australia and less commonly in parts of Papua New Guinea.
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Macrotus is a genus of bats in the Neotropical family Phyllostomidae. This genus contains two species, Macrotus californicus commonly known as California leaf-nosed bat and Macrotus waterhousii commonly known as Mexican or Waterhouse's leaf-nosed bat. The range of this family includes the warmer parts of the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Bahama Islands. Characteristic for the genus are large ears and the name giving triangular skin flap above the nose, the "leaf". The California Leaf-nosed Bat inhabits the arid deserts of the southwestern United States as far north as Nevada, south to Baja California and Sonora, Mexico. The California Leaf-nosed Bat is of medium size, with a total length between 9 and 11 cm Its most distinctive features are the large ears, connected across the forehead. The body is pale grayish brown dorsally with whitish under parts. The pelage (fur) on the body is silky, the hairs on the back about 8 mm, on the front about 6 mm long. The posterior base of the ears are covered with hair of a woolly texture while the interior surface and most of the anterior border shows scattered long hairs. The flight membranes are thin and delicate; the wings are broad and the tail is slightly shorter that the long hind limbs and extends several millimeters beyond the uropatagium. Macrotus waterhousii is also a big eared Bat which has ranges from Sonora to Hidalgo Mexico, south to Guatemala and the Greater Antilles and Bahamas. This species roosts primarily in caves, but also in mines and buildings. This species is also insectivorous, primarily consuming insects of the order Lepidoptera and Orthoptera. The mating and parturition times of M. waterhousii vary from island to island with 4–5 months gestation.
The Bonin flying fox, Bonin fruit bat, or in Japanese Ogasawara giant bat is a species of flying fox in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to four islands in Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Its natural habitat is subtropical forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat is a sac-winged bat found in the central granitic islands of the Seychelles. They are nocturnal insectivores that roost communally in caves. The species was previously abundant across much of the archipelago, but has since seen a substantial loss of habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the species as being critically endangered, due to population decline. This is mainly due to an increase in land development and the introduction of invasive species.
Emballonuroidea is a superfamily of bats containing two families: Emballonuridae and Nycteridae. It is one of three superfamilies in the suborder Yangochiroptera, the others being Noctilionoidea and Vespertilionoidea. Emballonurids are also known as sheath-tailed bats and sac-winged bats: the latter name refers to the glandular sac found on the edge of the wings in many species, used to produce a scent which represents territorial dominance and social presence. The Emballonuridae family contains 13 genera and 47 species, present in subtropical and tropical areas of the world. They take shelter in caves, trees, and hollow logs.
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Eumops nanus is a species of bat found in Central and South America.
