| Status | LC |
|---|---|
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Genus | Natalus |
| Species | stramineus |
| Authority | Gray, 1838 |
The Mexican funnel-eared bat (Natalus stramineus) is a bat species. Despite its name, it is native to the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.[1]
Description
The Mexican funnel-eared bat gets its name from its very distinctive funnel-shaped ears. The face has a triangular shape, pale skin, and forward-tilting ears. Both sexes of this species are similar in size, unlike other species. They have brown fur, which becomes darker as it reaches the tip.[2] They tend to live in deep and very humid caves and have groups from 100 up to 10,000 bats.[3] Another prime difference in this bat species compared to other, is that the Natalus stramineus has the longest gestation period reported for bats (some seven months). The Mexican funnel-eared bat also has migrant characteristics since it must live in a highly humid environment. If the habitat is not as humid as their liking, their population in that habitat will drop due to many of the bats looking for a more suitable place to call home nearby.[4] This species displays slower flight speeds than others; as insectivores, the Natalus stramineus needs greater mobility to catch insects in densely vegetated areas.[5]
References
- ^
- ^ Cervantes, F. A.; RamíRez-Vite, S.; Ballesteros, C. (2004). "New records of mammals from Hidalgo and Guerrero, Mexico". The Southwestern Naturalist. 49: 122–124. doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2004)049<0122:NROMFH>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 85828399
- ^ Arita, H. T. & Vargas, J. A. (1995). "Natural history, interspecific association and incidence of the cave bats of Yucatan, Mexico". The Southwestern Naturalist. 40: 29–37.
- ^ Clay, Mitchell G. (30 April 1965). "A Natural History Study of The Funnel-Eared Bat, Natalus Stramineus"
- ^ Akins, J. B.; Kennedy, M. L.; Schnell, G. D.; Sánchez-Hernández, C.; Romero-Almaraz, M. L.; Wooten, M. C.; Best, T. L. (1 December 2007). "Flight speeds of three species of Neotropical bats: Glossophaga soricina, Natalus stramineus, and Carollia subrufa"
Further reading
- Ricardo López-Wilchis, Luis M. Guevara-Chumacero, Neófito ángeles Pérez, Javier Juste, Carlos IbáñEz, and Irene D. L. A. Barriga-Sosa. "Taxonomic status assessment of the Mexican populations of funnel-eared bats, genus Natalus (Chiroptera: Natalidae)", Acta Chiropterologica 14(2), pp. 305–316, January 1, 2012, doi:10.3161/150811012X661639.
- Adrian Tejedor, "A new species of funnel-eared Bat (Natalidae: Natalus) from Mexico", Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 86, Issue 6, 14 December 2005, pp. 1109–1120, doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2005)86[1109:ANSOFB2.0.CO;2], JSTOR 4094534
- José Williams Torres-Flores and Ricardo López-Wilchis. "Trophic niche and diet of Natalus mexicanus (Chiroptera: Natalidae) in a tropical dry forest of western Mexico", Acta Chiropterologica 20(2), pp. 343–350, February 14, 2019, doi:10.3161/15081109ACC2018.20.2.006.