Bats in Question by Don E. Wilson

Author:Don E. Wilson [Wilson, Don E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-58834-511-0
Publisher: Smithsonian Books
Published: 2015-03-09T16:00:00+00:00

Naked-Backed Bats

The family Mormoopidae has only two genera and is limited to the New World (see photo E, Mormoops megalophylla, in the gallery). One genus, Pteronotus, has several species, two of which are naked-backed bats, so called because their wing membranes meet and fuse in the middle of the back, giving the bats a smooth, naked-backed appearance. Underneath these membranes are normally furry bodies. None of these bats is very large, but Parnell’s mustached bat, Pteronotus parnellii, is the largest, with a forearm length of about 60 millimeters.

These bats have no nose leaf, but their lips are wrinkled and modified into a sort of funnel-shaped appearance. Their eyes are small and quite inconspicuous. Their ears are short and pointed, and the tragi are not only present but quite distinctive in comparison to those of other bats. Their interfemoral membrane is well developed, and the tail is always present and extends through the dorsal surface of the uropatagium.

These bats are agile flyers and are strictly aerial insectivores. They occur in a variety of habitats, ranging from dry savannas to tropical rain forests. Most roost in caves or tunnels, although they have been found in houses on occasion. They produce a single young per year in seasonally determined patterns.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.