Proboscis bat
Nose bat ( Rhynchonycteris naso )
The nose bat ( Rhynchonycteris naso ) is a species of bat in the family of Myotis bats - free tails ( Emballonuridae ), which is native to Central and South America.
Description
The nose bat belongs weighing an average of 4 g of the smaller tropical bats. Their fur is gray - brown with two pale, bright wavy lines on the back. Her arms are hairy like a stripe pattern. Striking design and name of this type is the trunk-like elongated nose. The scientific name of the genus is derived from the Greek words ῥύγχος rhynchos ( " nose ", " mouth" ) and νυκτερίς from Nycteris ( " bat "). The species name naso comes from the Latin and refers also to the nose.
Way of life
The nose bat adheres day on in mixed -sex colonies near slow-flowing waters. Unlike most bats hanging nose bats not horizontal, but vertical surfaces such as on the bark of trees and rocks. This 3-45 animals often form a long vertical line. When the wind gets the animals from rocking side to side, probably to imitate the moving leaves and to be with better camouflage against predators.
Although the colony usually has an equal number of males and females, it is assumed that there is a dominant male per group. This dominant male visited at night the hanging place, while other animals of group usually stay away from the hanging place throughout the night. Nosed bats feed exclusively on insects. Foraging flights found mostly above the water instead of at a height of up to 3 meters. The colonies have their own areas to forage: While older females and juveniles in the center of these areas looking for their feed, males and young females hold on to the edge of the area. It was also observed that nose bats sometimes in pairs ( tandems) four act. The dominant male flies at the borders of the feed area of the colony and driven individuals from other colonies. This territorial behavior the dominant male defends the female towards conspecifics. As predators of the nose bat the Ringelboa and the large Radspinnenart Argiope savignyi was observed.
Reproduction
Female nosed bats can be up to twice a year become pregnant and give birth to one young each. A new pregnancy can still occur during the suckling period of the first annual young animal. Already at birth the young are relatively large and reached within two weeks, the size of a full-grown animal. After 2-4 months, the boy is weaned from the mother, whereupon it migrates and usually connects adjacent colonies.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of the nose bat ranges from Mexico through Central America to Peru and Bolivia. Your stock is classified by the IUCN due to the wide distribution as stable and unthreatened.