134.

Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bat

Sturnira bogotensis

French: Sturnire de Bogota / German: Bogota-Gelbschulterfledermaus / Spanish: Sturniro de Bogota

Taxonomy. Sturnira lilium bogotensis Shamel, 1927,

“ Bogota, (Estacion “La Uribe”), Colombia.”

In 1961, L. de la Torre considered S. bogotensis a subspecies of S. erythromos but later treated it as a valid species. Cladistic analyses recovered them assister species. Monotypic.

Distribution. W Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 65-68 mm (tailless), ear 17-18 mm, hindfoot 14-16 mm, forearm 42-45 mm; weight 19-20 g. The Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bat is medium-sized and intermediate in size between the Hairy Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. erythromos) and Tschudi’s Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. oporaphilum). Dorsal fur is grayish brown, fur is long (9 mm), and yellow or reddish patch does not occur on shoulders and below neck. I' are spear-shaped, with tips in contact, and do not pointing forward; lower molars have ill-defined cusps toward tongue, giving each molar a flat, plain aspect; tooth rows are arched outward; and palate is flat.

Habitat. Montane and cloudy forests in highlands and slopes of the Andes; subtropical, temperate, and lower Andean forests; and evergreen forested habitats at elevations of 1200-3340 m (typically above 2000 m). In north-western Peru, the Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bat can be found at lower elevationsin river valleys along the arid Pacific side. Records in Ecuador at lower altitudes are incorrect.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but species of Sturnira feed on fruits.

Breeding. In Venezuela, two young are born annually. In Ecuador, two pregnant Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bats with single fetuses (22 mm each) were found in February and a lactating female in January.

Activity patterns. Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bats are nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bat is considered uncommon, but its conservation status is stable. It occurs in several protected areas.

Bibliography. Gardner (2008g), Handley (1976), Lee, Alvarado et al. (2006), Linares (1987), Pacheco & Patter son (1991, 1992), Tirira (2017), de la Torre (1961)