The blunt-eared bat or Peruvian crevice-dwelling bat (''Tomopeas ravus'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 Molossidae. It is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

within the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Tomopeas'' and subfamily Tomopeatinae. 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 ...

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 ...

, where it is considered critically endangered. It is threatened by

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 ...

Taxonomy and etymology

The classification of the blunt-eared bat has historically been problematic. When it was first described by Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. in 1900, it was placed in

Vespertilionidae Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat familie ...

. In 1970, it was proposed that it should be in its own family, due to its intermediate qualities between Vespertilionidae and Molossidae. Taxonomists continued to place it in the vesper bat familyGregorin, R. (2003). Comparative morphology of the tongue in free-tailed bats (Chiroptera, Molossidae). Iheringia. Série Zoologia, 93(2), 213-221. until a 1994 study of their mitochondrial DNA showed that they were better placed in Molossidae.Sudman, P. D., Barkley, L. J., & Hafner, M. S. (1994). Familial affinity of Tomopeas ravus (Chiroptera) based on protein electrophoretic and cytochrome b sequence data. Journal of Mammalogy, 75(2), 365-377. It is now widely recognized as the only member of subfamily Tomopeatinae of family Molossidae.Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M. (Eds.). (2005). Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. JHU Press. There is evidence that it is basal to all other

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

of the Molossidae. Its genus name ''Tomopeas'' is possibly a reference to the

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

word "mops", meaning "bat";Best, T. L., Kiser, W. M., & Freeman, P. W. (1996). Eumops perotis. Miller used "mops" in other genera he described, including

Eumops ''Eumops'' (mastiff bats or bonneted bats) is a genus 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

Nyctinomops ''Nyctinomops'' is a genus 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 ...

.Miller, G. S. (1902). Twenty new American bats. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 389-412. ''Ravus'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for tawny.Bostock, P. D. (2013). A Primer of Botanical Latin with Vocabulary.

Description

Their fur is pale yellowish-gray in color, while their flight membranes are dark. Their face and ears are also dark in color. Their ventral fur is lighter than their dorsal fur, and is a creamy

buff Buff or BUFF may refer to: People * Buff (surname), a list of people * Buff (nickname), a list of people * Johnny Buff, ring name of American world champion boxer John Lisky (1888–1955) * Buff Bagwell, a ring name of American professional wr ...

color. The fur is soft and dense, with individual hairs approximately long. The

uropatagium 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 sparsely furred on both its dorsal and ventral sides. Like other free-tailed bats, the blunt-eared bat has a blunt tragus, a small but defined

antitragus The antitragus is a feature of mammalian ear anatomy. In humans, it is a small tubercle on the visible part of the ear, the pinna. The antitragus is located just above the earlobe and points anteriorly. It is separated from the tragus by the in ...

, tubular nostrils, and fusion of the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebrae. They are extremely small in size, weighing only . From nose to tail, they are long. Their forearms are long. Males and females are similar in size. Unlike other free-tailed bats, the projection of the tail from the

is very short, with only the last two caudal vertebrae extending past the membrane, measuring long. Their

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...

is , for a total of 28 teeth.Miller Jr, G. S. (1900). LXXIV.—A new bat from Peru. Journal of Natural History, 6(36), 570-574. The

calcar The calcar, also known as the calcaneum, is the name given to a spur of cartilage arising from inner side of ankle and running along part of outer interfemoral membrane in bats, as well as to a similar spur on the legs of some arthropods. The cal ...

forms a small but distinct lobe, and its keel is narrow and inconspicuous.

Biology

As they are relatively uncommon, not much is known about their biology. Juveniles, lactating females, and lactating females have all been encountered in July and August, suggesting that this is a time of high reproductive activity.Barkley, L.J. 2008. Subfamily Tomopeatinae Miller, 1907. In: Gardner, A.L. (ed.), Mammals of South America. Volume 1. Marsupials, xenarthrans, shrews, and bats, pp. 439-440. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. They are insectivorous. They have been found to be infected with the

protozoa Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...

n endoparasite ''

Eimeria ''Eimeria'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites that includes various species capable of causing the disease coccidiosis in animals such as cattle, poultry and smaller ruminants including sheep and goats. ''Eimeria'' species are considered to be ...

''. A new species of ''Eimeria'' was described from the blunt-eared bat; it was named ''Eimeria tomopea'' in reference to this fact.Duszynski, D. W., & Barkley, L. J. (1985). Eimeria from bats of the world: A new species in Tomopeas ravus from Peru. The Journal of parasitology, 204-208.

Range and habitat

It is endemic to Peru. Its range is restricted to the arid and semiarid regions of Peru's coastal region. They are found from above sea level. During the day, it roosts in the crevices of granite boulders and outcroppings. The crevices they use are small, at only . They possibly prefer crevices that face the west or southwest.Davis, W. B. (1970). Tomopeas ravus Miller (Chiroptera). Journal of Mammalogy, 51(2), 244-247. In 2010, a blunt-eared bat was discovered south of the previous estimated range. This capture was the first time the blunt-eared bat was observed in over thirty years.Zamora, H., Medina, C., Escobar, A., Arteaga, Y., Cadenillas, R., & Velazco, P. M. (2014). New distributional record of the rare endemic Peruvian Tomopeas ravus Miller, 1900 (Chiroptera, Molossidae, Tomopeatinae). A 2013 study suggested that their range might extend into southwest

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

, as the habitat would be similar to where they are found in Peru. So far, there is no evidence to confirm this.

Conservation

It has only been encountered in twelve localities, four of which are less than apart. Its area of occupancy is estimated at less than . In Peru, it is considered critically endangered. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

assessed it as vulnerable in 1996 and 2008, but revised its classification to

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

in 2016. They identify

habitat destruction 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 ...

as the primary threat to this species; its habitat is being lost to agricultural conversion and urbanization. This species is possibly under threat by efforts to control

vampire bat Vampire bats, species of the subfamily Desmodontinae, are leaf-nosed bats found in Central and South America. Their food source is blood of other animals, a dietary trait called hematophagy. Three extant bat species feed solely on blood: the com ...

s. Sometimes, entire caves are fumigated, which kills all the bats inside. In 2013, bat researchers reported capturing two individuals with "relatively little sampling effort," causing them to question if the species is actually rare or if it is not encountered due to inappropriate sampling methods.Velazco, P. M., Cadenillas, R., Centty, O., Huamaní, L., & Zamora, H. (2013). New records of Platalina genovensium (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) and Tomopeas ravus (Chiroptera, Molossidae). Mastozoología neotropical, 20(2), 425-434.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q174048, from2=Q17344033, from3=Q3531401 Taxa named by Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. Bats of South America Mammals described in 1900 EDGE species Mammals of Peru Molossidae Taxonomy articles created by Polbot