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Pygmy Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus phaeotis

French: Dermanure pygmée / German: Zwergfruchtvampir / Spanish: Artibeo pigmeo

Taxonomy. Dermanura phaeotis G. S. Miller, 1902,

“Chichen Itza [= Chichén-Itzd], Yucatan,” Mexico.

Artibeus turpis from Tabasco (southern Mexico), described by RK. Andersen in 1906, 1s a junior synonym of A. p. phaeotis. Considered in the genus Dermanura by some authors but reassigned to Artibeus (subgenus Dermanura) after reinterpretation of molecular results. Some authors recognized A. ravus as a synonym of A. phaeotis, but according to molecular evidence, they are considered different species. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

A.p.phaeotisG.S.Miller,1902—E&SEMexico(fromVeracruztoYucatanPeninsula),NGuatemala,Belize,Honduras,ENicaragua,ECostaRica,PanamaandWColombia.

A.p.nanusK.Andersen,1906—W&SWMexico(fromSinaloatoOaxaca).

A. p. palatinus W. B. Davis, 1970 — S Mexico (SW Chiapas), S Guatemala, W El Salvador, W Nicaragua, and W Costa Rica.

Records from W Ecuador and N Peru are unverified; they could represent the Little Fruit-eating Bat (A. ravus), which was thought to be part of this taxon. Those from Venezuela, N Brazil, and Guyana probably represent misidentifications.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 51-60 mm (tailless), ear 14-18 mm, hindfoot 8-12 mm, forearm 35-2-41-8 mm; weight 8-15-6 g. Skull of the Pygmy Fruit-eating Batis small, with short and broad rostrum, and is characterized by high cranial dome. Dorsal fur is light pale brown or grayish, short (4-6 mm), faintly tricolored, and soft; it extends to base of forearm. Light brown ocular ring is present, with two well-marked white facial stripes. Ventralfur is slightly paler than dorsum. Noseleaf is thick and pointed compared with other species of Stenodermatinae. Ears are rounded, moderated in size, and brown and usually have conspicuous whitish or pale yellow tips. Tragus is pointed, with many lobes of different sizes on the outside, giving a serrated appearance. Fur covers more than one-half of each forearm. Wing membranes are black, except for second interdigital membrane that lacks pigmentation. Tail membrane is pale, moderated in size (9-11 mm), U-shaped, and almost completely naked. Dental formulais12/2,C1/1,P 2/2, M 2/2 (x2) = 28. Upper and lower molars are relatively small compared with other species of similarly sized Artibeus.

Habitat. Seemingly associated with tropical deciduous forest, tropical rainforest, tropical dry forests, shrublands, and second growth forests and plantations (banana). The Pygmy Fruit-eating Bat might occur in dryareas (e.g. Yucatan Peninsula), using tropical forest islands or “petenes” of coastal wetlands.

Food and Feeding. The Pygmy Fruit-eating Bat is mainly frugivorous and occasionally eats insects and pollen. In dry forests of Costa Rica, eleven plants species are used for food and ten plant genera in Panama, including Ficus spp. (Moraceae), Cecropia spp. (Urticaceae), and Spondias spp. (Anacardiaceae).

Breeding. Breeding pattern of the PygmyFruit-eating Bat has been characterized as bimodal polyestry. In Costa Rica, there is information of births at the end of dry seasons (April) and middle of rainy seasons (August-September). Females have one young per pregnancy. In the Yucatan Peninsula, breeding season occurs in rainy season.

Activity patterns. The Pygmy Fruit-eating Bat is nocturnal. It uses caves or tents made from leaves of bananas, Heliconia (Heliconiaceae), Philodendron (Araceae), and palms. Long leaves are chewed along edge of midrib to form an “upturned boat” shape; fanshaped leaves are cut in a polygonal shape around their bases.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Pygmy Fruit-eating Bats roost alone or in small groups.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Dermanura phaeotis).

Bibliography. Andersen (1906b), Davis (1970a), LaVal & Rodriguez-Herrera (2002), Le6én & Montiel (2006), Miller et al. (2015c), Reid (2009), Rodriguez-Herrera et al. (2007), Timm (1985, 1987).