Ipanema bat

Ipanema bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Pygoderma
Peters, 1863
Species: P. bilabiatum
Binomial name
Pygoderma bilabiatum
(Wagner, 1843)

The Ipanema bat (Pygoderma bilabiatum), is a bat species of order Chiroptera and family Phyllostomidae. It is found in South America, specifically in northern Argentina, Bolivia, southeastern Brazil and Paraguay.[1] It is monotypic within its genus.

Description

The Ipanema bat is a medium-sized bat which is brown-furred overall, with the exception of its white-furred shoulders.[2] The fur of its back is a darker shade of brown than that of its chest.[2] It has less fur on its shoulders and upper chest than on the rest of its body, particularly in males.[2][3] Its rostrum is shorter and more square-shaped than other species of its subfamily, Stenodermatinae [2][4] It has a large nose and no tail, with roundish ears having a small, 4-5 mm (0.16-0.2 in) tragus.[2]

Size varies based on sex and geographical location. Females tend to be larger than males.[4] [5][3] The skulls of Ipanema bats from Argentina and Bolivia are bigger than those of their counterparts in Paraguay and Brazil.[5] P. bilabiatum typically has two molars.[2] [6] However, some females have a third molar (usually in the mandibular jaw) not seen in males.[2][6] This may be correlated with the larger jaw size of females.[6]

While both males and females have glands below the jaw and surrounding the eyes, the glands in males are generally larger.[3] Males also have forelimb swellings, which are not seen in females.[4]The size and presence of such swellings varies geographically.[4] Additionally, forelimb swellings appear to be correlated with development of the males' eye glands.[4] Due to the dimorphism of forelimb swellings, It is thought that they could be correlated with mating behaviors. [4]

Ecology

Range and Habitat

The Ipanema Bat resides in northern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.[7][5] Their preferred habitats are tropical forests, subtropical forests, and secondary forests.[8] Although atypical, they are sometimes found in the coastal shrublands of Brazil.[8] This suggests that perhaps P. bilabiatum can expand its habitat into dryer, more sparsely vegetated areas. [8]

Diet

P. bilabiatum is frugivorous, specializing in fruit that is easily digested.[3] These fruits are usually very ripe and fleshy, with few seeds.[3] The fruit choices of the Ipanema bat are diverse, including the fruits of Lucuma caimito, Miconia brasiliensis, and trees of the genus Celtis, as well as Maclura tinctoria, Solanum granuloso-leprosum, and Ficus enormis.[2][3][9][10] Some may also feed on nectar.[3]

Behavior

Migration

Migration patterns may be influenced by rainfall amount and/or temperature. P. biliabatum appears to prefer regions with a minimum annual rainfall of 1500 mm (59 in) and moderate temperatures of 16-23 °C (61-73 °F)[7] Food availability and foraging capabilities seem to be an important factor in the timing and distance traveled during migration[7] Females and males migrate differently.[7] Males tend to linger in lower elevations, while females reside at intermediate and high elevations.[7]

Reproduction

P. bilabiatum usually reproduces in either the fall or the winter.[3] It is thought that they give birth during the later end of the dry period and wean their young at the beginning of the wet period.[10] This strategy coordinates birth with the highest amount of fruit attainability.[10] Females only carry one fetus at a time.[3] Additionally, nipples have been found on females, but it is unclear whether or not they are involved in lactation.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Barquez, R. & Diaz, M. (2008). "Pygoderma bilabiatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Webster, W.D. and R. Owen. 1984. Pygoderma bilabiatum. Mammalian Species, 220: 1-3.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Myers, P. 1981. Observations on Pygoderma bilabiatum (Wagner). Z. SAUGETIERKD, 46(3): 146-151.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tavares, V. D. C. and A. Tejedor. 2009.The forelimb swellings of Pygoderma bilabiatum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Chiroptera Neotropical, 15(1): 411-416.
  5. 1 2 3 Owen, R.D. and W.D. Webster. 1983. Morphological variation in the Ipanema bat, Pygoderma bilabiatum, with description of a new subspecies. Journal of Mammalogy, 64:146-149.
  6. 1 2 3 Dick, C. 2002. Variation in the Dental Formula of the Ipanema Bat, Pygoderma bilabiatum. The Southwestern Naturalist, 47(3): 505-508.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Esbérard, C. E. L., I. P. de Lima, P. H. Nobre, S. L. Althoff, T. Jordão-Nogueira, D. Dias, F. Carvalho, M.E. Fabián, M.L. Sekiama, and A.S. Sobrinho. 2011. Evidence of vertical migration in the Ipanema bat Pygoderma bilabiatum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae). Zoologia (Curitiba), 28(6): 717-724.
  8. 1 2 3 Oprea, M., P. Mendes, T. Vieira, V. Pimenta, D. Brito, and A. Ditchfield. 2007. Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Phyllostomus hastatus and Pygoderma bilabiatum: first occurrence in the Brazilian coastal shrubland ecosystem. Check List, 3(3): 175-179.
  9. ↑ Cáceres, N. C. and M.O. Moura. 2003, Fruit removal of a wild tomato, Solanum granulosoleprosum Dunal (Solanaceae), by birds, bats and non-flying mammals in an urban Brazilian environment. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, 20(3): 519-522.
  10. 1 2 3 Farias, D. 2014. Reports on the diet and reproduction of the Ipanema fruit bat, Pygoderma bilabiatum in a Brazilian forest fragment. Chiroptera Neotropical, 3(1): 65-66.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/22/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.