The Cuban funnel-eared bat (''Chilonatalus micropus'') 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

Natalidae The family Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats, are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family has three genera, '' Chilonatalus'', '' Natalus'' and '' Nyctiellus''. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as th ...

. It is one of two species within the genus ''

Chilonatalus The genus ''Chilonatalus'' of funnel-eared bats is found in South America and the Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Ant ...

'' and is found only in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Description

All natalids have large, funnel-shaped ears, with glandular papillae on the surface of the external ear. They also have a short, triangular tragus, which is quite thick, but they lack a true nose leaf. All species in this family, however, have a hairy protuberance on the tip of the snout that resembles a nose leaf. The eyes are not prominent. The oval nostrils are set close together and are located near the margin of the lip. One special characteristic of natalids is a peculiar structure on the face or muzzle of adult males. This structure is commonly known as the "natalid organ." It is made up of sensory cells, but it could actually be involved in glandular functions. There is not enough known about this structure to comment upon it further, but it seems to be found solely in the Natalidae. All funnel-eared bats have long, slender wings and legs that are quite fragile. The thumbs are also very short, but possess their own flight membranes. In addition, the second finger lacks bony phalanges. The tail is about as long as or longer than the legs and is completely enclosed in the tail membrane, the uroplagium. This species has many special characteristics which set it apart from the others in the family. ''Chilonatalus micropus'' is the smallest and most delicate bat in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

. The lower lip of this species is reflected outward. It also possesses a small, horizontal cutaneous projection on the other side. This structure looks much like a second lower lip. The pregnant female will move away to the darkest and hottest area. ''Chilonatalus micropus'' has a very dense and long coat. Coat color varies depending on its location on the body. Dorsally, the fur is pale yellowish brown at the hair base with tips that are either reddish or chestnut-brown. Ventrally, the hair is pale yellowish-brown throughout. The dental formula is . These bats have a well-developed "W" tooth pattern. The 3rd incisor is separated from the other two. The canine is small but well developed and is noticeably set apart from the other teeth. The premolars are all in close contact with the other teeth and the molars are approximately equal in size and form. There seems to be no

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

Distribution and status

It is found in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

's Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina,

Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...

(the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

and

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

), and

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

in the

. A conservation plan has not been put into place yet because the Cuban funnel-eared bat is so rare that we do not know enough information about their habitat requirements, reproductive cycle or life history to create one.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuban Funnel-Eared Bat Chilonatalus Mammals of the Dominican Republic Mammals of Haiti Mammals of Colombia Mammals of the Caribbean Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1880