Southern long-nosed bat
Leptonycteris curasoae
Leptonycteris curasoae is a bat from the family of leaf lobes ( Phyllostomidae ), which is native to Central America.
The genus name is derived from the Greek Leptonycteris " leptos " ( = slim, slender ) and " Nycteris " ( = bat ) from. The species name curasoae refers to the island of Curacao on which the holotype was caught.
Description
Leptonycteris curasoae is with a forearm length of 54-55 mm smaller than their sister species Leptonycteris nivalis (forearm length 56.5 to 59.5 mm). Their fur is gray - brown and darker than that of L. nivalis. The tail airplane skin is hairy, unlike the second sister species Leptonycteris yerbabuenae. The ears are relatively small and wide and dark brown as the airplane skin. Like most representative of the sheet tabs has also Leptonycteris curasoae a clearly visible nose leaf. The wings are relatively wide, which makes this type to form an agile aircraft that can hover on the spot.
Way of life
Leptonycteris curasoae is like most bats nocturnal. They feed mainly on pollen, nectar and fruits of various cacti and agaves. This diet makes it an important seed dispersers and pollinators of many Night Blooming plants. Your food preferences overlap here with those of Glossophaga longirostris and make them due to the high Specialize particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction. Leptonycteris curasoae occurs in arid and semi-arid regions. Spends the day Leptonycteris curasoae mostly in caves with a temperature of about 30 ° C and a relatively high humidity of 85% on average. The groups often reach a size of several thousand animals.
Leptonycteris curasoae can be over 10 years old. Reports of predators are limited to the Barn Owl and anecdotal gigantea on the giant centipede Scolopendra.
Dissemination
Leptonycteris curasoae is found in Colombia and Venezuela and Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. The IUCN estimates Leptonycteris curasoae as endangered ( vulnerable ), as the population size has decreased in the last generation over 30%. This is due to the exploitation of the caves where the animals live, and the destruction of the habitat ..