Noteworthy Records of Bats From Nicaragua, with a Checklist of the Chiropteran Fauna of the CountryJones, J. Knox
Science
Noteworthy Records of Bats From Nicaragua, with a Checklist of the Chiropteran Fauna of the Country
Jones, J. Knox
Bats -- Nicaragua
A female pregnant with two embryos (crown-rump length 15 mm) was
captured on 22 April, whereas one taken on 5 July was lactating. Adult
males taken in March (two) and April (two) had testes 5, 7, 9, and 10
mm long, respectively.
Rhogeessa tumida tumida H. Allen, 1866
_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m,
2. _Carazo_: 3 km N, 4 km W Diriamba, 600 m, 2. _Chinandega_: 6 km
N, 1 km E Cosigüina, 10 m, 3; Hda. Bellavista, 720 m, Volcán
Casita, 1. _Matagalpa_: 1 km NE Esquipulas, 420 m, 1.
This small vespertilionid occurs throughout much of Central America,
but the available material still is insufficient to permit an accurate
assessment of geographic variation in that region. All but one of our
specimens were trapped in mist nets. Those captured near Diriamba were
taken in a net stretched across a trail bordered by high cut-banks,
whereas those from other localities were netted over small streams. The
one bat from Bellavista was shot as it foraged in the evening along
trees bordering the hacienda yard.
Two females taken on 5 March each had swollen uteri and may have been
in an early stage of pregnancy. Others taken on 13 July, 9 August, and
15 August were reproductively inactive. Males had testes that measured
2.5 (March), 3 (July), and 2 (August) mm.
We have compared our material with representative specimens from México
of _R. parvula_ and _R. tumida_, as defined by Goodwin (1958); we are
not wholly convinced that these are valid species (rather than variable
geographic races of the same species). Certainly there is need for
additional investigation of the problem. Our Nicaraguan specimens most
closely resemble _R. t. tumida_ (see Goodwin, _op. cit._:3), to which
they are tentatively referred.
Selected measurements of two females from Boaco and a male from
Matagalpa, followed by the average (and extremes) of three males and
three females from western Nicaragua (Carazo and Chinandega), are,
respectively: length of forearm, 30.4, 28.5, 28.3, 28.2 (27.5-29.0) mm;
greatest length of skull, 12.8, 12.7, 12.8, 12.1 (11.8-12.5) mm;
zygomatic breadth, 8.1, 8.4, 8.6, 8.1 (7.8-8.6) mm; mastoid breadth,
7.1, 7.2, 7.2, 6.8 (6.6-7.1) mm; breadth of braincase, 6.0, 5.7, 6.0,
5.6 (5.3-6.1) mm; postorbital constriction, 3.3, 3.0, 3.3, 3.0
(2.9-3.2) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 4.7, 4.7, 4.5, 4.3
(4.2-4.6) mm; weight, 4.4, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5 (3.1-3.9) gms.
Tadarida laticaudata yucatanica (Miller, 1902)
One adult male (testes 5 mm) of this free-tailed bat from Potosí, 5 m,
Chinandega, on the Cosigüina Peninsula, provides the only record of the
genus _Tadarida_ from Nicaragua. This specimen was netted after dark
over a small stream that flowed into the Bay of Fonseca approximately
200 yards below our nets (see account of _Noctilio leporinus_). Other
species taken in the same net included _Carollia subrufa_, _Sturnira
lilium_, _Eptesicus furinalis_, _Molossus ater_, and _Molossus
molossus_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account