207.

Bogota Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus bogotensis

French: Dermanure de Bogota / German: Bogota-Fruchtvampir / Spanish: Artibeo de Bogota

Taxonomy. Artibeus cinereus bogotensis K. Andersen, 1906,

“Cunche [Cundinamarca], near Bogota, Colombia.”

According toJ. R. Tamsitt and collaborators in 1964, Curiche 1s a suburb in the town of El Penon, 75 km north-west of Bogota (Cundinamarca) and at a much lower elevation (1311 m). Artibeus bogotensis is placed in Dermanura by some authors but reassigned to Artibeus (subgenus Dermanura) according to reinterpretation of molecular results. Artibeus bogotensis was included as a subspecies of A. glaucus, but morphological and molecular evidence indicates it is a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. N South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, N Brazil, and NE Peru; also on Trinidad, Tobago, and Grenada Is (Lesser Antilles).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 42-63 mm (tailless), ear 12-18 mm, hindfoot 9-12 mm, forearm 37-43; weight 11-16 g. The Bogota Fruit-eating Bat has medium gray to pale brown dorsal pelage, and hairs are faintly tricolored (very pale basal band followed by medium to dark gray band and lighter silvery tip). Ventral fur is medium gray. Facial stripes are whitish, broad, and distinctive. Noseleaf is blackish and well developed; ears are rather short, broad, and rounded above; and edges of ears have narrow pale cream or whitish tinge. Dorsal base of forearm is covered by dense, long, and smooth hair. Wing membrane attaches to base of outer toe. Sparse short brown hairs cover dorsal surface of legs. Uropatagium is dark brown, with dorsal surface slightly haired and deeply emarginated; ventral hairs do not exceed this groove. Cranially, supraorbital region is slightly inflated, resulting in slender rostrum. Dental formulais12/2,C1/1,P 2/2, M 2/2 (x2) = 28. I' are distinctly bilobated.

Habitat. Primary lowland rainforests, evergreen dry forests, secondary abandoned crop fields, logged forests and also montane mature forests, savannas, and forest edges at elevations of 360-2200 m. The Bogota Fruit-eating Bat is found at medium elevations on eastern slopes of Andes in north-western Venezuela and eastern Ecuador. In Colombia, it is found on both Andean slopes, usually above 1200 m, and sympatric with the Silvery Fruiteating Bat (A. glaucus) on eastern slopes. It also occurs in the Amazon lowland region of south-eastern Venezuela, northern Brazil, the Guianas, and north-eastern Peru.

Food and Feeding. The Bogota Fruiteating Bat is considered frugivorous, feeding on fruits in the canopy, usually figs (Ficus spp., Moraceae) and Cecropia sp. (Urticaceae).

Breeding. Pregnant Bogota Fruit-eating Bats have been found in May and August in Venezuela and June in Colombia.

Activity patterns. In north-western Venezuela, the Bogota Fruiteating Bat was found roosting under banana leaves always cut in the shape of a “boat.” They are apparently significantly selective of banana leaves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Roosting groups of Bogota Fruit-eating Bats had 2-14 individuals, and none of these were reproductive groups (harems) but rather mixed individuals only.

Status and Conservation. Classified as [Least Concern on The IUCNRed List (as Dermanura bogotensis). The Bogota Fruiteating Bat has a wide distribution and occurs in protected areas.

Bibliography. Andersen (1906b, 1908c), Calderon & Pacheco (2012), Genoways et al. (1998), Handley (1987), Hershkovitz (1949), Lim, Engstrom, Patton & Bickham (2008), Machado et al. (2008), Marques-Aguiar (2008a), Ortega et al. (2015), Redondo et al. (2008), Solari, Hoofer et al. (2009), Solari, Mufoz-Saba et al. (2013), Tamsitt et al. (1964).