The lesser dog-like bat (''Peropteryx macrotis''), also known as Peters' sac-winged bat, is a species of bat from

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and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. First described in 1826, it was renamed in 1843 because the original scientific name was already in use for another species.

Description

The lesser dog-like bat is a small bat, measuring about in head-body length, with a tail about long. Adults weigh only about , although females are larger than males. They have moderately long fur, which can vary from brown to grey, or even reddish. While it is the smallest of the dog-like bats, it shares with them the long, hairless, snout that is the source of their common name. Apart from the smaller size, it can also be distinguished from its close relatives by possessing an outward-opening glandular sac on the part of the wing membrane forward of the arms.

Distribution and habitat

Lesser dog-like bats are found in the south from eastern

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

and

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Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, throughout

. In South America, they are found throughout Colombia, but otherwise only east of the Andes, reaching eastern

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, northern

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

, and Santa Catarina in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

at their southernmost extent. Within this region they are most commonly found in tropical deciduous forest below , although they are sometimes found in evergreen forest or semi-arid scrubland. There are no recognised subspecies, although the Trinidad dog-like bat was formerly considered a subspecies of ''P. macrotis''.

Biology and behaviour

Lesser dog-like bats feed primarily on small

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s and

flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwing ...

. During the day, they primarily roost in caves although they may also use artificial structures such as culverts, ruins, and church roofs. Colonies are typically small, with less than 15 individuals, although the bats may share their roosts with various other species. Such colonies often contain only a single male, who may use scent secreted from his wing-sacs to attract females. Known predators include owls and big-eared woolly bats. The bats breed throughout the year, and have a gestation period of between four and four-and-a-half months. Mothers typically give birth to a single young at a time, which gestates in the left horn of their bicornuate uterus.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q338980 Bats of South America Bats of Brazil Mammals of Colombia Emballonuridae Bats of Central America Mammals described in 1843