A Bat Man in the Tropics: Chasing El Duende

Appendix 1. A Brief Overview of Bat Diversity

appendix 1 A Brief Overview of Bat Diversity Bats belong to order Chiroptera (“hand wing”), which is the second largest order of mammals (after rodents). Over nine hundred species are currently recognized, and these are classified in two suborders: Megachiroptera, the megabats (flying foxes and their allies); and Microchiroptera, the microbats (echolocating bats).Suborder Megachiroptera contains only one family;suborder Microchiroptera contains seventeen families. suborder megachiroptera Old World Fruit Bats or Flying Foxes (Family Pteropodidae). This family of fruit- and nectar-feeding bats contains about 175 species. Its distribution encompasses the Old World tropics and subtropics, including many islands in the South Pacific. Ranging in size from about eleven grams to nearly two kilograms, these bats are important seed dispersers and/or pollinators of many species of tropical plants, including commercially important tree species such as durian, eucalyptus, figs, guava, kapok, mango, and neem. Genera mentioned in this book include Hypsignathus, Macroglossus , Nyctimene, Pteropus, and Syconycteris. 281 suborder microchiroptera Sac-winged or Sheath-tailed bats (Family Emballonuridae). This pantropical family contains about fifty-one species of relatively small insectivores. They have long, narrow wings, which contain scent-producing glands in shallow sacs in some species. Genera mentioned in this book include Balantiopteryx and Saccopteryx. Bumble-bee Bats (Family Craseonycteridae). This family contains a single species, Craseonycteris thonglongyai, found only in Thailand. Weighing only 1.5 grams, this is perhaps the world’s smallest mammal. Mouse-tailed Bats (Family Rhinopomatidae). This family’s three insectivorous species inhabit arid to semiarid regions of the Old World. Their long, mouselike tails extend far beyond the short tail membrane. Old World False Vampire Bats (Family Megadermatidae). This family of five species is widely distributed in the paleotropics. Its species are medium to relatively large in size (up to about 150 grams).The large species are carnivores and eat a variety of small vertebrates, including fish, frogs, reptiles, birds, rodents, and other bats. Old World Slit-faced Bats (Family Nycteridae). Mostly African insectivorous and carnivorous bats, this family contains twelve species. Its name comes from a split nose leaf that extends along the snout from the nostrils. These and other bats with nose leaves emit their echolocation calls through their nostrils rather than through their mouths. Old World Leaf-nosed Bats (Families Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae). These two closely related families, containing a total of about 130 species, are widely distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics; a few species live in temperate regions. All species have a nose leaf of varying complexity . All are insectivorous and often hunt for their prey in densely vegetated areas, where they glean insects from foliage. New Zealand Short-tailed Bats (Family Mystacinidae). This family of small, omnivorous bats contains two species, one of which is likely to be recently extinct. These short-legged bats are as adept at feeding on insects, fruit, and nectar on the ground as they are at pursuing insects on the wing. They occur only in New Zealand. 282 / Appendix 1 New World Fishing Bats (Family Noctilionidae). The larger of the two members of this neotropical family is morphologically well-adapted for gaffing small fish with its large hind feet and long, sharp claws.The smaller species is insectivorous. The single genus is Noctilio. Mustached Bats (Family Mormoopidae). This neotropical family of insectivorous bats, which shares a common ancestor with the Noctilionidae and Phyllostomidae, contains eight species. All have either funnel-like lips surrounded by hairs or, in the case of the ghost-faced bat, a complex series of wrinkles covering the face.These bats live in very large colonies in “hot” caves. Both genera (Pteronotus, Mormoops) are mentioned in this book. New World Leaf-nosed Bats (Family Phyllostomidae). This neotropical family of about 150 species exhibits the greatest range of feeding adaptations of all bats (and, indeed, of all mammals).Traditional subfamilies tend to re- flect different feeding adaptations as follows: subfamily Phyllostominae— insectivory and carnivory;some of the smallest (a few grams) and the largest species (190 grams) occur in this subfamily; some species have long, spearshaped nose leaves; subfamilies Glossophaginae and Lonchophyllinae— flower-visiting and fruit-eating bats with elongated snouts and reduced teeth and nose leaves; subfamily Phyllonycterinae—flower-visiting bats found only in the Greater Antilles; subfamily Brachyphyllinae—fruit-eating bats endemic to theWest Indies;subfamily Carolliinae—fruit-eating bats feeding mostly on forest understory fruits;subfamily Stenodermatinae—fruit-eating bats with flattened faces and feeding mostly...