Sturnira adrianae caripana new subspecies

Caripe Yellow-shouldered Bat

Murciélago de Charreteras de Caripe

Holotype (Fig. 4). An adult male (CVULA 8593), consisting of cranium, mandibles, partial postcranial skeleton, and study skin.

Type locality. Venezuela, Estado Monagas, 1.5 ESE Sabana de Piedra: latitude, 10.213°; longitude, -63.564°; elevation, 1350 m.

Paratypes. We designate as paratypes two males (CVULA 8590, 8771) from the type locality, and one male (EBRG 14454) from Venezuela, Monagas, San Agustín, 5 km N Caripe, 10.203°, -63.546°, 1180 m. CVULA 8590 and 8771 prepared as the holotype. EBRG 14454 prepared as a study skin with skull. For all the specimens referred to the species, see Appendix.

Measurements of the type material. The linear measurements (mm) and body masses (g) of the types (CVULA 8593, 8590, 8771; EBRG 14454) are: skull length, 23.5, 23.4, 23.3, 23.7; condyloincisive length, 22.1, 22.1, 22.3, 22.2; condylocanine length, 20.9, 20.8, 20.8, 21.0; postorbital breadth, 5.9, 5.9, 5.9, 6.2; braincase breadth, 10.8, 10.9, 10.4, 10.4; mastoid breadth, 12.0, 12.2, 12.1, 12.1; zygomatic breadth, 13.6, 13.8, 13.8, 13.1; maxillary toothrow length, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 6.8; M2-M2 breadth, 7.8, 8.0, 8.2, 8.2; dentary length, 15.0, 15.1, 15.4, 15.4; mandibular toothrow length, 7.4, 7.7, 7.7, 7.7; forearm length, 44.3, 44.6, 45.1, 44.6; third metacarpal length, 41.4, 41.3, 42.1, 42.5; fourth metacarpal length, 41.3, 40.4, 41.9, 41.2; fifth metacarpal length, 41.6, 42.0, 43.9, 41.8; total length, 71.0, 69.0, 75.0, 67.0; hind-foot length, 14.0, 15.0, 15.0, 14.0; ear length, 17.5, 16.0, 18.0, 18.0; body mass, 22.5, 24.0, 23.0, 26.3.

Diagnosis. Identical to that of S. a. adrianae, except for: 1) upper premolars narrower and shorter in labial view; 2) preorbital frontal ridges little developed; 3) foramen ovale not touching the caudal pterygoid process.

Description. The description of S. a. adrianae applies to S. a. caripana, except for: 1) cranial and wing size medium for both Sturnira and the S. oporaphilum clade; 2) interfemoral membrane sparsely furred with 2–4 mm long hairs; 3) in dorsal view, skull more elongated: braincase and rostrum narrower, occiput more prominent; 4) sagittal crest and preorbital frontal ridges less developed; 5) palate proportionally narrower; 6) upper premolars narrower and shorter in labial view: labial edge less developed; 7) molariform teeth proportionally smaller; 8) foramen ovale not touching the vertical wall of the caudal pterygoid process, thus entirely located in the osseous plane internal to the mandibular fossa, and occlusally not covered by this process.

Comparisons (Table 3; Figs. 4–6). S. a. caripana differs from other species of Sturnira in the same manner as S. a. adrianae, except for: 1) it is more similar to S. oporaphilum, and to S. bogotensis, in cranial and wing size; 2) it is more similar to S. oporaphilum, and to S. koopmanhilli, in the poorer development of the labial edges of upper premolars; 3) it differs more (skull more elongated; braincase, rostrum, and palate narrower) from S. oporaphilum, and less from S. ludovici, S. hondurensis, S. mordax, and S. koopmanhilli, in cranial shape.

Distribution (Fig. 1). Known from four localities in the Turimiquire Massiff, and from two localities in the neighboring Paria Peninsula (Appendix). Presumably, endemic to the mountain ranges of northeastern Venezuela, east of the Unare Depression.

Etymology. The epithet caripana [Carip(e) + -ana], a feminine adjectival toponym, is derived from Caripe, a town near the type locality made known to science in the book “Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Years 1799–1804 ”, of the famous German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.