Thomas's sac-winged bat (''Balantiopteryx io'') is a species of
sac-winged bat
Emballonuridae is a family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from the Eocene.
Descr ...
in the family
Emballonuridae
Emballonuridae is a family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from the Eocene.
Descr ...
. It is found in
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
,
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, and
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 Guatema ...
.
[
]
Taxonomy
Oldfield Thomas
Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (21 February 1858 – 16 June 1929) was a British zoologist.
Career
Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and subspecies for the first time. He was appoin ...
named this bat in 1904.Balantiopteryx infusca
The Ecuadorian sac-winged bat (''Balantiopteryx infusca'') is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the population trend is decreasing ...
'' and has no recognised subspecies.[Gardner, Alfred L. ''Mammals of South America''. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008, p. 194.]
Appearance
It is the smallest species when compared to others in the genus ''Balantiopteryx,'' and lacks the white trim that is characteristic of ''Balantiopteryx plicata
The gray sac-winged bat (''Balantiopteryx plicata'') is a species in the family Emballonuridae which comprises the 51 species of sac-winged bats. It is found in Mexico from Baja California Sur and Sonora to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, ...
''. The males weigh about 3.7 g, while the females weigh about 5 g.
Biology and behavior
Thomas's sac-winged bat prefers to live in caves near the entrance, but there have been instances where they have been found deeper in the caves where it is darker.[ It has also been found in railroad tunnels.][ It likes to stay about nine inches or more away from the others when hanging on the ceiling.][ Groups of fifty or more of these bats can be found in a colony.][Lim, Miller, Reid, Arroyo-Cabrales, Cuarón, and de Grammont 2008] It feeds on insects after sunset, so observing the bats is difficult.[Nowak, Ronald M. ''Walker's Bats of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994, p. 96] There is not much data available for this species’ courting rituals, but what is known is that the female usually has one fetus, and the pregnant females can be found in March, April, May, and June.[
]
Conservation
The bat is considered “vulnerable” according to the IUCN redlist, and the population is decreasing.[ This assumption comes from the evidence of habitat destruction, and it has been estimated that about 30% of the bats’ natural habitat has been destroyed by human causes such as vandalism, fires in caves, and tourism.][
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References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1832181
Balantiopteryx
Bats of Central America
Bats of Mexico
Mammals described in 1904
Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot