Spectral bat

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Spectral bat
Spectral bat photo.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Vampyrum
Rafinesque, 1815
Species:
V. spectrum
Binomial name
Vampyrum spectrum
Vampyrum spectrum distribution (colored).png
Synonyms
  • Vespertilio spectrum Linnaeus, 1758
  • Phyllostomus spectrum Daudin, 1802
  • Phyllostoma spectrum É Geoffroy, 1810
  • Vampyrus spectrum Ranzani, 1820

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum), also called the great false vampire bat, great spectral bat, American false vampire bat or Linnaeus's false vampire bat, is a large, carnivorous leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is the only member of the genus Vampyrum; its closest living relative is the big-eared woolly bat. It is the largest bat species in the New World, as well as the largest carnivorous bat: its wingspan is 0.7–1.0 m (2.3–3.3 ft). It has a robust skull and teeth, with which it delivers a powerful bite to kill its prey. Birds are frequent prey items, though it may also consume rodents, insects, and other bats.

Contents

Unlike the majority of bat species, it is monogamous. Colonies consist of an adult male and female and their offspring. The adult male will bring food back to the roost to provision the adult female and their offspring. Colonies generally roost in tree hollows, though individuals may roost in caves. Due to habitat destruction and its low population density, it is listed as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Taxonomy and evolution

The spectral bat was described in 1758 by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus. The holotype was collected in South America by Daniel Rolander. Linnaeus assigned it to the genus Vespertilio , which he classified as a kind of primate. [2] Its species name " spectrum " is from Latin meaning "apparition" or "specter".

The genus Vampyrum was not described until 1815 by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. [3] The genus and species names were not used in their current combination until biologist George Gilbert Goodwin did so in 1942. [4] "Vampyrum" is a Neo-Latin derivative of vampire, thus named because it was once erroneously believed that the species was sanguivorous and consumed blood. [5]

Macrophyllini

Trachops

Macrophyllum

Vampyrini

Vampyrum

Chrotopterus

Phyllostomini

Lophostoma

Tonatia

Phylloderma

Phyllostomus

Mimon

Position of Vampyrum in Phyllostomidae based on molecular data. [6] Tribe relationships based on Hoffmann et al. 2008. [7]

Based on mitochondrial DNA and the RAG2 gene, the spectral bat is most closely related to the monotypic genus Chrotopterus (the big-eared woolly bat). [6]

Vampyrum and Chroptopterus diverged from other leaf-nosed bat species approximately 20.75 million years ago, with the two genera diverging from each other 14.35 million years ago. [8] The spectral and big-eared woolly bats likely evolved from an insectivorous ancestor. [9]

The spectral bat is included within the subfamily Phyllostominae, which includes species of diverse feeding strategies, including carnivory, insectivory and mixed insectivory/frugivory. The spectral and big-eared woolly bats are the two extant members of the tribe Vampyrini. Vampyrini additionally includes the extinct genus Notonycteris . [7] Based on dental characteristics, Czaplewski and Morgan additionally included the fringe-lipped bat (genus Trachops) and sometimes the round-eared bats (genus Lophostoma) in Vampyrini. [10]

Description

Comparison of spectral bat (top) and jackal skulls (not to scale)
Vampyrum spectrum skull.jpg
Canis mesomelas 02 MWNH 103d.JPG

The spectral bat is the largest bat species native to the New World and the largest carnivorous bat in the world. [11] The wingspan typically ranges from 0.7–1.0 m (2.3–3.3 ft). [12] Its forearm length is 101–110 mm (4.0–4.3 in). [4] Its body length is 135–147 mm (5.3–5.8 in) and its mass is 134–189 g (4.7–6.7 oz). [13] [14] Its wings, though large in an absolute sense, are short relative to its body size. The wings are wide, though, creating a large surface area. Its wingtips are rounded and almost squarish. [15] The thumbs are long, at 21.4–22.2 mm (0.84–0.87 in). [14] Each of its thumbs has a large, recurved claw that is grooved, similar to those of cats. [12] Its back fur is reddish-brown, long, and soft, while its belly fur is shorter and paler. The forearm is furred on the half closer to the body, but naked on the half closer to the wrist and fingers. [12]

Its molars are narrow with W-shaped crests. While six of its molars have three cusps, as in many mammal species, the last upper molars are reduced to two cusps; they are much smaller than the other molars. [12] The talonids (crushing surfaces) of the molars are small relative to their trigonids (shearing surfaces). [16] The upper canine teeth are well-developed. Its dental formula is 2.1.2.32.1.3.3 for a total of 34 teeth. Its skull is narrow and elongated with a pronounced sagittal crest. [12] Overall, its skull resembles a miniature canid or bear skull. [17] Its nose-leaf is large, at 17 mm (0.67 in) in length. [12] There is no discernible tail, [18] but the uropatagium (tail membrane) is long and broad. [19] Its legs are long, and the feet are composed of slender bones; each digit has a well-developed claw. The ears are large and rounded, at 39–42 mm (1.5–1.7 in) long. [12]

The brain is large relative to the body; at 1:67, its brain-to-body mass ratio is higher than that of cats and dogs. [20] [21] The cerebral hemispheres of the brain are extensively convoluted. [22] The brain has well-developed olfactory bulbs and its cerebellum is the most ornamented and complex of any member of its subfamily. McDaniel described its corpus callosum and white matter as "exceptionally thick". [22]

Biology and ecology

Diet

A groove-billed ani, one of the spectral bat's primary food sources Crotophaga sulcirostris.jpg
A groove-billed ani, one of the spectral bat's primary food sources

The spectral bat is exclusively carnivorous, [23] consuming birds, rodents, and other species of bat. Additionally, it consumes some insects such as beetles. [24] It preys on other bats opportunistically, and it is known to eat bats out of researchers' mist nets. Prey species include the highland yellow-shouldered bat, Geoffroy's tailless bat, Pallas's long-tongued bat, short-tailed fruit bats, the common vampire bat, and fruit-eating bats [25] It was once thought to supplement its diet with fruit, but a captive pair refused to eat any fruit over a 5-year period. [26] Its diet can be studied passively because it carries prey items back to its roost to consume, discarding unwanted parts such as bird feathers, bat wings, and rodent tails. Over the course of a year, 18 bird species were identified from feathers left under a roost in Costa Rica: based on the assemblage, it prefers non-perching bird species that weigh 20–150 g (0.71–5.29 oz). [27] However, a later study in Brazil determined that perching bird species were a majority of prey items. [24]

Doves and cuckoos are frequently consumedthey represented over half the prey items documented in the Costa Rican study. Some prey species such as cuckoos, trogons, and motmots are known to have a strong odor, leading Vehrencamp et al. to hypothesize that spectral bats may rely on scent to locate prey. It also prefers prey that roost in groups, which may aid in detection. The groove-billed ani, which both has a strong smell and roosts in groups, is a particularly common prey item, representing approximately 24-26 of the 86 prey items identified in the study. Other species identified included the orange-fronted parakeet, orange-chinned parakeet, rufous-naped wren, streak-backed oriole, and scissor-tailed flycatcher. The largest prey species identified was the white-tipped dove, which at 150 g (5.3 oz), weighs almost as much as spectral bats. Because its prey items can be so large, it may only need to consume one bird every two or three nights to meet its caloric requirements. [27]

Foraging

Taxidermied spectral bat "consuming" a mouse Spectral bat.jpg
Taxidermied spectral bat "consuming" a mouse

The spectral bat uses echolocation to navigate, creating short pulses of ultrasound at relatively low frequencies; its echolocation characteristics are suited for maneuvering around obstacles while flying low to the ground. [12] Its foraging style has been compared to owls; it likely uses its agile and maneuverable wings to hover as it plucks prey items off the ground or tree branches. [25] It stalks the prey and then lands on it from above, securing the prey by hooking it with its sharp thumb claws. [28] It kills its prey by delivering a forceful bite to the skull. [26] Relative to its size, its bite force is stronger than any Carnivoran. [17] Its bite force is predicted to measure 80100 Newtons based on its body size and canine teeth characteristics. [29] It has been recorded as being attracted to the distress calls of smaller bats while hunting. [30]

In a study of the wing morphology of 51 Neotropical bat species, the spectral bat had the lowest wing loading (body mass to wing area ratio) at 20.05. [15] Low wing loading is advantageous for carnivorous bats because it allows them to pick up prey items from the ground and fly with them. [31] Its wing structure allows it to take flight in confined spaces and to carry heavy prey items, despite the bat's size. Males will carry prey back to their roosts to provision females and their pup. [27]

Reproduction and life cycle

The spectral bat is one of an estimated 18 species of bat which are monogamous. Additionally, it is one of two known species of bat where the males provide parental care, the other being the yellow-winged bat. [32] Males have relatively small testes as a monogamous species, there is not generally sperm competition, so males can save energy by producing less sperm. [33]

It is a seasonal breeder, with females giving birth at the end of the dry season or the beginning of the rainy season. [12] The litter size is one individual, with offspring called "pups." [34] The mother is reportedly very attentive and gentle with her offspring. The male is often in attendance as well and will frequently sleep with both the female and their young completely wrapped up in his wings. [26] The extent of natural depredation upon spectral bats is unknown, but spectral bat remains were once documented in a western barn owl pellet in Oaxaca, Mexico. [35]

Spectral bats roost independently or in small colonies of up to five individuals in hollow trees. [12] An examination of one colony of five individuals consisted of an adult male and female, a nursing pup, and a juvenile male and female. The juvenile male was estimated to be six months old; he was presumed to be the older offspring of the adults, while the female was also possibly their offspring. [27] Though it was initially believed to only roost in trees, it was first documented using a cave as a roost in 2008. Its average lifespan is unknown; however, it is believed that the same individual roosted in a cave from 2008 until at least 2016 based on a unique ear pigmentation, making lifespans of at least 8 years possible. In captivity, one adult individual of uncertain initial age was maintained for 5.5 years. [36]

Range and habitat

The spectral bat is found in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. [1] It has been documented at elevations from 0–1,650 m (0–5,413 ft) above sea level, though in Mexico it is only found in lowland areas of below 150 m (490 ft). It is associated with tropical rainforests. [19] In 2010, the species was documented for the first time in the Cerrado of Brazil. [37] It is occasionally encountered in pastures and orchards. [1]

Conservation

As of 2018, the spectral bat is classified as near threatened by the IUCN. Its population size is difficult to assess, as it is rarely encountered. However, its population trend is assessed as decreasing. [1] It may be intentionally persecuted by humans. In Trinidad, the bats are sometimes thought to be ghosts, and locals will seek out and destroy their roosts. [38]

As of 1999, the spectral bat is listed as endangered in Bolivia. [39] It has been listed as an endangered species in Mexico since 2001. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microbat</span> Suborder of mammals

Microbats constitute the suborder Microchiroptera within the order Chiroptera (bats). Bats have long been differentiated into Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera, based on their size, the use of echolocation by the Microchiroptera and other features; molecular evidence suggests a somewhat different subdivision, as the microbats have been shown to be a paraphyletic group.

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

Vampire bats, members of the subfamily Desmodontinae, are leaf-nosed bats currently found in Central and South America. Their food source is the blood of other animals, a dietary trait called hematophagy. Three extant bat species feed solely on blood: the common vampire bat, the hairy-legged vampire bat, and the white-winged vampire bat. Two extinct species of the genus Desmodus have been found in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horseshoe bat</span> Family of mammals

Horseshoe bats are bats in the family Rhinolophidae. In addition to the single living genus, Rhinolophus, which has about 106 species, the extinct genus Palaeonycteris has been recognized. Horseshoe bats are closely related to the Old World leaf-nosed bats, family Hipposideridae, which have sometimes been included in Rhinolophidae. The horseshoe bats are divided into six subgenera and many species groups. The most recent common ancestor of all horseshoe bats lived 34–40 million years ago, though it is unclear where the geographic roots of the family are, and attempts to determine its biogeography have been indecisive. Their taxonomy is complex, as genetic evidence shows the likely existence of many cryptic species, as well as species recognized as distinct that may have little genetic divergence from previously recognized taxa. They are found in the Old World, mostly in tropical or subtropical areas, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

<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.

<i>Desmodus</i> Genus of bats

Desmodus is a genus of bats which—along with the genera Diaemus and Diphylla—are allied as the subfamily Desmodontinae, the carnivorous, blood-consuming vampire bats of the New World leaf-nosed bat family Phyllostomidae.

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

Natterer's bat is a European vespertilionid bat with pale wings. It has brown fur tending to greyish-white on its underside. It is found across most of the continent of Europe, parts of the Near East and North Africa. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates which it catches on the wing or pursues on the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common vampire bat</span> South and Central American bat

The common vampire bat is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to the Neotropics. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat practices hematophagy, mainly feeding on the blood of livestock. The bat usually approaches its prey at night while they are sleeping. It then uses its razor-sharp teeth to cut open the skin of its hosts and lap up their blood with its long tongue.

<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">Dwarf dog-faced bat</span> Species of bat

The dwarf dog-faced bat is a species of free-tailed bat from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay, typically at lower elevations. It is one of two species in the genus Molossops, the other being the rufous dog-faced bat. Three subspecies are often recognized, though mammalogist Judith Eger considers it monotypic with no subspecies. It is a small free-tailed bat, with a forearm length of 28.9–32.5 mm (1.14–1.28 in) and a weight of 5–8 g (0.18–0.28 oz); males are larger than females. It is brown, with paler belly fur and darker back fur. Its wings are unusual for a free-tailed bat, with exceptionally broad wingtips. Additionally, it has low wing loading, meaning that it has a large wing surface area relative to its body weight. Therefore, it flies more similarly to a vesper bat than to other species in its own family. As it forages at night for its insect prey, including moths, beetles, and others, it uses two kinds of frequency-modulated echolocation calls: one type is to navigate in open areas and to search for prey, while the other type is used for navigating in cluttered areas or while approaching a prey item.

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

Dekeyser's nectar bat is a bat species found in Brazil and Bolivia.

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

The little big-eared bat is a bat species in the order Chiroptera and family Phyllostomidae. It is from South and Central America particularly Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Suriname and Trinidad. Though its exact population is unknown, it is considered widespread and occurs in protected areas, although deforestation may be a minor threat, it is classified as Least Concern. It is found in multistratal evergreen forests and dry thorn forests and forages near streams and is found hollow trees, logs, caverns, or houses with groups up to twelve. The head and body length measures at 44 millimetres (1.7 in) for males and 45 millimetres (1.8 in) for females. Males usually weigh about 5 grams (0.18 oz) while females weigh 5.7 grams (0.20 oz).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great stripe-faced bat</span> Species of bat

The great stripe-faced bat or stripe-faced vampire bat is a bat species found from southern Mexico to Bolivia and northwestern Brazil, as well as on Trinidad. The great stripe-faced bat is a frugivore. It is one of two species within the genus Vampyrodes the other being Vampyrodes major.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large slit-faced bat</span> Species of bat

The large slit-faced bat is a species of slit-faced bat with a broad distribution in forest and savanna habitats in West, Central, and East Africa. N. marica, is the available name for the southern savanna species if it is recognized as distinct from this species.

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

The desert long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat found in North Africa and the Middle East.

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

Waterhouse's leaf-nosed bat is a species of big-eared bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in the Greater Antilles in the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica, as well as Mexico south to Guatemala.

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

Miller's mastiff bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

Desmodus draculae is an extinct species of vampire bat that inhabited Central and South America during the Pleistocene, and possibly the early Holocene. It was 30% larger than its living relative the common vampire bat. Fossils and unmineralized subfossils have been found in Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela, Belize, and Bolivia.

Witwatia is an extinct genus of giant bat that contained two species which lived in the Al Fayyum in Egypt during the late Eocene and one species which lived in Tunisia during the early Eocene. It is known from a lower jaw and teeth. Three species have been named: the type species W. schlosseri, W. eremicus and W. sigei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat</span> Order of flying mammals

Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera. With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. The smallest bat, and arguably the smallest extant mammal, is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, which is 29–34 millimetres in length, 150 mm (6 in) across the wings and 2–2.6 g in mass. The largest bats are the flying foxes, with the giant golden-crowned flying fox reaching a weight of 1.6 kg and having a wingspan of 1.7 m.

<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.

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