The long-snouted bat (''Platalina genovensium'') is a species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

in the family Phyllostomidae. It is the only species within the genus ''Platalina''. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to northern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and northern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. It feeds almost exclusively on the nectar and fruit of the columnar cactus. The species is rare, but has a wide distribution with at least 25 populations, and is listed as near-threatened due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

causing the removal of their primary food source.

Description

Captured long-snouted bats range in length from 7.2 to 8.9 cm with a tail length of 0.5 to 1.1 cm and forearm length of 12.8 to 26.5 cm. Weights range from 12.8 to 26.5 g with the upper weight range including a pregnant female. More typical measurements are total length around 81 mm, wing extension of 341 mm, and weights of 19.5 to 19.9 grams. Wing area is the largest of any known glossophagine with wing loading the lowest. This may be due to the high altitude. It is the largest bat within the family Lonchophyllinae. This size could be an adaptation for night temperatures approaching 0c. The bat is known for its extremely elongated muzzle which could indicate increased specialization. In addition, the tongue is long, extendable and covered in papillae. The upper incisors are broad and spoon shaped with a diamond-shaped

nose-leaf A nose-leaf, or leaf nose, is an often large, lance-shaped nose, found in bats of the Phyllostomidae, Hipposideridae The Hipposideridae are a family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nosed bats. While it has often been seen as a su ...

. The

interfemoral membrane The patagium (plural: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flight. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, birds, some dromaeosaurs, ...

is long and sparsely haired with the tail extending 1/3 of the way into the membrane. The body is pale brown with the base of each hair being lighter than the tip. The underside is also lighter than the back.

Range

On the western slopes of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, this species ranges from

Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located in the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017. It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro fou ...

in the North to

Tacna Tacna was known for its mining industry; it had significant deposits of sodium nitrate and other resources. Its economic prosperity attracted a wave of immigrants from Italy. Today, their Italian Peruvian descendants live in the city and many of t ...

in the south. Most research has centered on

Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...

. On the eastern slopes, there is only one known population near

Huánuco Huánuco (; qu, Wanuku) is a city in central Peru. It had a population of 196,627 as of 2017 and in 2015 it had a population of 175,068. It is the capital of the Huánuco Region and the Huánuco District. It is the seat of the diocese of Huán ...

. Elevations range from sea level to 2500 m although no individual has been collected below 2200 m. Populations are strongly associated with desert habitats dominated by columnar cactus. This range is hypothesized to change with precipitation events as populations move to more moist areas during

El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...

events.

Habitat and roosting

The primary habitat requirement for this species is high densities of a plant species in the genus '' Weberbauerocereus'', ''W. weberbaueri''. These densities range from 20 to 30 cacti per . Fruit, pollen and nectar production are the limiting resource for the population resulting in large population swings during drought. They typically live in colonies of up to 50 individuals, though may separate into small groups of 5-7 individuals within the roost. Colonies include all male and mixed sex groups with no known occurrences of female only groups. All known colonies inhabit abandoned mines.

Diet

The long-snouted bat has an obligate mutualistic relationship with the ''W. weberbaueri'' and as a result, this species is the primary pollinator and seed disperser for this species. This species of cactus produces fruit year around, even after 17 months without rain which allows minimal bat populations to persist. Platalina genovensium increases the successful fruit production from 40% to 77%, significantly increasing available food available in the ecosystem for rodents and birds. During and following drought, two species of hummingbird ('' Platagona gigas'' and ''

Rhodopis vesper The oasis hummingbird (''Rhodopis vesper'') is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the genus ''Rhodopis''. It is found in Chile and PeruHBW and BirdLife ...

'') also play a role in pollination. The bats supplement their diet with small

coleopterans Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described ...

found within the flower but the primary component of their diet is cactus pollen. Carbon isotope analysis has determined that the long-snouted bat feeds almost exclusively on

CAM Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells. It is an intracellular target of the secondary messenger Ca2+, and the bin ...

plants or insects that feed on CAM plants. Other species which may play a role in their diet to an unknown degree include ''Browningia candelaris'', ''Neoraimondia arequipensis'', ''Coryocactus brevistylus'', ''Echinopsis chiloensis'', ''Armatocereus procerus'', and ''Weberbauerocereus rauhii''. Carrying capacity can range from 5 bats per ha during rainy years to .5 bats in drought years. Activity peaked around 8 pm.

Reproduction

During periods of drought, reproduction is completely halted perhaps via delayed fertilization. In 1993, 3 out of 8 captured adult females were pregnant or lactating in October therefore the hypothesized breeding peak is around October coinciding with spring flowering. Pregnant females have also been captured in September, March and June. Pregnancy and lactation length are unknown. There may be possible sexual dimorphism with females having slightly longer forearms.

Conservation status

The main conservation threats include habitat loss and collection for medicinal sale. Their low population densities and dependence in columnar cactus make them vulnerable to habitat loss. In addition, their roosting locations in known mines make them vulnerable to over harvest by medicinal collectors. Any harvest during times of drought when populations are suppressed and there is no reproduction could threaten the persistence of local populations. Medicinal uses of bats in the local culture range from curing

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...

heart attacks A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tra ...

. Additional threats include more frequent el Nino induced droughts with climate change. Populations are decreasing at a rate between 10 and 30% over 10 years. It is one of two species of bats currently listed as critically endangered by Peruvian legislation (Supreme Decree 034-2004-AG). It is also listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2011).

References

External links

Image at ADW
{{Taxonbar, from=Q94609 Phyllostomidae Bats of South America Endemic fauna of Peru Mammals of Peru Mammals described in 1928 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot