Pteronotus davyi
| Davy's naked-backed bat | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Mormoopidae |
| Genus: | Pteronotus |
| Species: | P. davyi |
| Binomial name | |
|
Pteronotus davyi Gray, 1838 |
|
| Subspecies | |
P. d. davyi
P. d. fulvus
P. d. incae
Davy's (Lesser) naked-backed bat (species Pteronotus davyi) is a small, insect-eating, cave-dwelling bat of the Order Chiroptera and Family Mormoopidae. It is found throughout South and Central America, including Trinidad, but not Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana. Specimens of this bat had been found infected with rabies in Trinidad during the height of that's island's vampire-bat transmitted rabies epidemic of the early half of the 20th century, but not in recent times. (Trinibats. Gomes, Pers. Comm., 2014).
The Lesser naked-backed bat (also known as Davy's naked-backed bat,) earns its name from the appearance of its backside. The bat species appears to have a hairless or "naked" back due to the attachment of its wings on the mid-line of its dorsal surface. The wing membranes give the bat's back its shiny appearance. The Lesser-naked backed bat shares this diagnostic feature with just one other species of bat of the same family (Mormoopidae,) named Pteronotus personatus. Pteronotus dayvi is easily distinguishable from other subspecies in the Genus Pteronotus by sparsely distributed hairs on the membranes of its wings.P. dayvi is characterized with very dense pelage that changes colors throughout the seasons. Little sexual dimorphism is observed in this species, except within the most northern populations located in Sonora. Males of this population are observed to be significantly larger than females. The wing aspect ratio of this species is very high in comparison to many Microchiroptera, allowing these bats to fly long distances at fast speeds. The lips of these bats are large, perhaps allowing for focusing of the soundwaves that are emitted from their pharynx during echolocation.
P. davyi are nocturnal, insectivorous bats that tends to roost in communities within its own species. Daytime roosts are seen to be shared between other species within the family Mormoopidae. This species uses echolocation to target prey and navigate in the dark, deciduous forests they reside in.
Pteronotus davyi are known to be seasonally monogamous, and usually mate in the months of January and February. These bats have one offspring per mating season. The birth of the offspring occurs during the rainy season. The rainy season provides a surge in the insect population, which proves to be important for these insectivorous bats, allowing the young to mature at a fast rate.
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Wikipedia