Proboscis bat

Proboscis bat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Emballonuridae
Genus:	Rhynchonycteris Peters, 1867
Species:	R. naso
Binomial name
Rhynchonycteris naso (Wied-Neuwied, 1820)
Proboscis bat range
Synonyms
Vespertilio naso

The proboscis bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) is a species of bat found in South America and Central America. Other common names include long-nosed proboscis bat, sharp-nosed bat,^[2] Brazilian long-nosed bat.^[3] and river bat.^[4] It is the only species in the genus Rhynchonycteris.

This species is in the family Emballonuridae, the sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. Like most bats, it is nocturnal. It is found from southern Mexico to Belize, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil, as well as in Trinidad.^[1][5][6]

Characteristics

Individual proboscis bat

Close-up of a proboscis bat

This is a small bat, around 6 centimetres (2.4 inches) long and 4 grams (0.14 ounces) in weight. Males in northern South America were found to average 56 millimetres (2.2 in) long, females 59 millimetres (2.3 in).^[3] The tail is about 16 millimetres (0.63 in) long.^[3] Pregnant females can weigh up to 6 grams (0.21 oz).^[3]

Habitat

This species is found in the lowlands of the northern half of South America, throughout Central America, and into southeastern Mexico. From Ecuador south, it is limited to east of the Andes; its range extends south to the northern half of Bolivia and much of Brazil. It seldom occurs above 300 meters (980 feet) in elevation.^[3] It usually lives around wetlands and is frequently found in riparian forests, pastures swamps, and all near water.

Habits

Group on a tree along the Frio River, Costa Rica. The two on the lower left are carrying babies (dark colored)

Proboscis bats live in groups. The colonies are usually between five and ten individuals, and very rarely exceed forty. The bats are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in an unusual formation: most of them line up, one after another, on a branch or wooden beam, nose to tail, in a straight row.

A colony of proboscis bats usually has a regular feeding area, typically a small patch of water. Here the bats catch insects (in the form of midges [including chironomids], mosquitoes, beetles, and caddisflies)^[7][8] using echolocation. They have no specific breeding season, forming stable year-round harems. One young is born per female. Both sexes disperse after weaning at around 2–4 months.

This small species of bat has been found to occasionally fall prey to the large spider Argiope savignyi.^[6]

References

1. Lim, B.; Miller, B. (2016). "Rhynchonycteris naso". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19714A22010818. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T19714A22010818.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. Sharp-nosed Bat – Rhynchonycteris naso. Arthurgrosset.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-29.
3. Plumpton, David L.; Jones, J. Knox Jr. (1992). "Rhynchonycteris naso" (PDF). Mammalian Species (413): 1–5. doi:10.2307/3504230. JSTOR 3504230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
4. Lim, Burton K.; Engstrom, Mark D. (26 November 2001). "Bat community structure at Iwokrama Forest, Guyana". J. Trop. Ecol. 17 (5): 647–665. doi:10.1017/S0266467401001481. S2CID 86552729.
5. Rhynchonycteris. Ftp.funet.fi (2002-08-29). Retrieved on 2012-12-29.
6. Timm, Robert M. & Losilla, Mauricio (2007): Orb-weaving Spider, Argiope savignyi (Araneidae), Predation on the Proboscis Bat Rhynchonycteris naso (Emballonuridae). Caribbean Journal of Science 43(2): 282–284. PDF Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine hdl:1808/4463
7. "Rhynchonycteris naso (Proboscis Bat)" (PDF). Sta.uwi.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
8. "Rhynchonycteris naso (Proboscis bat)". Animaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2022-03-25.