Miller's long-tongued bat
Glossophaga longirostris is a flower bat from the family of leaf lobes ( Phyllostomidae ), which is native to Central and South America.
The genus name derives from the Greek glossa Glossophaga ( = tongue ) and phagein ( = eat ) from. The species name longirostris combines the Latin terms longi ( = long) and rostrum ( snout = / beak ).
Description
Glossophaga longirostris has like most flowers bats an elongated snout and a very long tongue. Belonging to the family of the sheet tabs, it also has a distinctive nose sheet of 6.1 mm in length. It is the largest species of the genus Glossophaga, but can be from their sister species usually differ only by differences in the characteristics of the teeth. The females are on average slightly larger than males ( females total length: 58-80 mm, males: 52-75 mm ), but weigh on average less (females: 12.8 g, males 13.3 g). The coat has two colors, with the peritoneum usually reddish- brown and the back coat is cinnamon. As with most bats can be a partial albinism occur, which manifests itself by randomly distributed white patches in the otherwise uniformly colored fur. Currently, there are six subspecies, but the IUCN know out that the assignment of the type and sub-species should be revised.
Way of life
Glossophaga longirostris feeds seasonally depending on availability of different fruits, nectar and pollen, especially from cacti as Stenocereus griseus, Subpilocereus repanus, Pilocereus tillianus and fruit of the mulberry tree dyer. Through their diet flowers bats are important seed dispersers and pollinators of plants.
Glossophaga longirostris is like most bats nocturnal. During the day it hangs in groups of up to 20 animals in caves, rock crevices, hollow trees and houses. In such hiding places can be found next to Glossophaga longirostris also Peropteryx macrotis, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus davyi, Pteronotus personatus, Micronycteris megalotis, Large Lanz noses ( Phyllostomus hastatus ), Glossophaga soricina, Leptonycteris curasoae and glasses sheet tabs ( Carollia perspicillata ). However, the types hang never mixed but keep distance from each other.
The females are bimodal polyöstrisch and give birth twice per year after a gestation period of about three months each a cub. The moment of birth is regionally synchronized with the presence of fruits and flowers of various cacti and mulberry plants.
Dissemination
Glossophaga longirostris occurs in northern South America from Colombia to Venezuela to Guyana before. Your risk may be assessed by the IUCN due to the poor data situation and the uncertainty of the assignment of the subspecies currently not.