204.

Andersen’s Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus anderseni

French: Dermanure dAndersen / German: Andersen-Fruchtvampir / Spanish: Artibeo de Andersen

Other common names: Andersen's Little Fruit-eating Bat

Taxonomy. Artibeus anderseni Osgood, 1916,

“Porto Velho [Rondonia], Brazil.”

No other epithets have been associated with A. anderseni, but it was considered a junior synonym or subspecies of A. cinereus. Some authors placed anderseni in Dermanura, but it was reassigned to Artibeus (subgenus Dermanura) after reinterpretation of molecular results. Monotypic.

Distribution. W Amazon Basin in SE Colombia, NW & W Brazil, and E lowlands of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, with an isolated population in W Colombia (Antioquia Department). Records from Venezuela, N Brazil, and Guyana probably represent misidentifications.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 46-55 mm (tailless), ear 14-18 mm, hindfoot 9-11 mm, forearm 34-38 mm; weight 8-9 g. Dorsal fur of Andersen’s Fruit-eating Bat is pale brown or grayish; fur is medium length, faintly tricolored, and soft; and it extends to base of forearm. Muzzle is short, with two well-marked white facial stripes. Ventralfur is slightly paler than dorsum. Ears are brown and usually have narrow but conspicuous whitish or pale yellow margins. Wing membranes are brownish. Tail membrane is pale, moderate in size, with a Vsshaped groove, and almost completely naked. Dental formula is 12/2, C 1/1,P 2/2, M 2/2 (x2) = 28. Skull is small, with short and broad rostrum, and is characterized by high cranial dome similar to that of the Pygmy Fruiteating Bat (A. phaeotis).

Habitat. Usually lowland humid forests, typical of the Amazon Basin, but also cerrado and savanna habitats, forests fragments, and plantations (banana), mostly below elevations of ¢. 1000 m.

Food and Feeding. Andersen’s Fruit-eating Bat feeds primarily on fruits (Ficus spp., Moraceae), mainly from large trees.

Breeding. Lactating and pregnant Andersen's Fruit-eating Bats have been found in June and October in Brazil and March, June, August, and November in Peru. These could indicate a bimodal polyestrous reproductive pattern.

Activity patterns. Andersen’s Fruit-eating Bat is nocturnal. It roosts under banana-like leaves and perhaps in tents made from palm leaves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Andersen’s Fruit-eating Bat roosts alone or forms small groups (1-3 individuals).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Dermanura andersent). Andersen’s Fruit-eating Bat has a wide distribution.

Bibliography. Albuja (1999), Ascorra et al. (1996), Bernard & Fenton (2002), Davis (1970a), Graham (1987), Handley (1987), Hershkovitz (1949), Koopman (1978), Kunz et al. (1994), Marques-Aguiar (2008a), Osgood (1916), Solari et al. (2006).