Lesser bulldog bat
Small rabbits foot ( Noctilio albiventris )
The little rabbits foot ( Noctilio albiventris ) is a species of bat in the family of hares mouths, which is native to Central and South America.
Description
The little rabbits mouth is as the name implies, the smaller of the two species of hare mouths. The head-body length is 65-68 mm, tail length 13-16 mm, the forearm is shorter than 70 mm and the wingspan is 285-380 mm. Characteristic features are the pronounced drooping cheeks, which gives the bat a Bulldog -like appearance. The cheeks form in the mouth by the extended back muscle (musculus buccinator) a kind of bag, which is also at the Great Hare mouth ( Noctilio leporinus ) is available. The ears are small and pointed, the tragus has finger-like outgrowths. The feet are large and robust, but not as extreme increases as the mouth of the Great Hare. The calcar is long and bony. The coat is extremely short, the color between individuals and within the distribution area varies. The animals are reddish - light brown to dark brown, with a yellowish- brown to whitish underside. In contrast to the Great Hare mouth of the bright stripes is less pronounced on the back and missing even in many animals.
Way of life
The little rabbits mouth is like most other bats nocturnal. Despite the similar morphology it feeds as opposed to fischfang end the Great Hare mouth mainly of insects. The long legs and pronounced tail wing membrane serve the little rabbits foot as a kind of network with which it collects insects from the water surface. It can diving beetles ( Dytiscidae ) up to 22% of the food make up. Occasionally, remnants of fish are found in the feces of this kind. It is believed that the fish-eating life of the Great Hare mouth has evolved from hunting for insects on the water surface. Indeed, molecular analyzes that the Great Hare mouth developed before about 0.28 to 0.7 million years ago from a style that resembled the little rabbit 's mouth.
The little hare foot is mainly in the first hour after sunset and one hour after midnight active and thus overlaps in time hardly with the main activity during the Great Hare mouth. In the fly, the animals come up to 200 echolocation calls per second in the range between 70 and 40 kHz, which are either inaudible to the human ear. The cries for a volume of over 137 dB, which corresponds approximately to that of a jet plane in 100 m distance. Small rabbit mouths often hunt in groups and can thereby take advantage of the information they gain through echolocation calls of their own kind. Since the prey of the little Hare mouths often are swarming insects, promises of booty success of any individual, that more insects are on the site to find. Experiments show that the calls that ejects an animal just before it catches a prey, actually attract other bats. Echolocation calls also likely include an individual signature, by which the animals can recognize each other. During the day, the little rabbits foot hanging in groups in hollow trees and buildings. Little is known about the social behavior.
Reproduction
The pairing of the little rabbit 's mouth will take place in November and December. The egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube, where the blastocyst prior to implantation ( nidation ) in the uterine lining (endometrium) further developed. From April to May, the females bear each a single cub. The newborns are hairless, but come with open eyes to the world. The feet are already as large as the full-grown animals. After 14 to 23 days, showing a first hair and after 33 to 36 days the fur is fully developed. At age 31-34 days, the boys start first flight tests and are able to fly with 35 to 44 days. The young are suckled for 90 days from their mother and reach the full size of 61-91 days.
The males have flaps of skin around the scrotum, which can be everted like fingers and exude during the mating season, a garlic-like odor, which probably plays a role in courtship.
Distribution and habitat
The little rabbits foot comes from southern Mexico to northern Argentina before. The species is classified by the IUCN as safely.