The Aztec fruit-eating bat (''Dermanura azteca'') is a species of
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...
in the family
Phyllostomidae.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was
described as a new species in 1906 by Danish mammalogist
Knud Andersen. The
holotype
A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of sever ...
was collected by
Edward William Nelson
Edward William Nelson (May 8, 1855 – May 19, 1934) was an American naturalist and ethnologist. A collector of specimens and field naturalist of repute, he became a member of several expeditions to survey the fauna and flora. He was part o ...
in
Tetela del Volcán, Mexico.
Its
species name
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
"''aztecus''" refers to the indigenous
Aztecs of Mexico, where this species was first documented.
Description
It is one of the largest members of its genus and lacks a tail. It has a forearm length of and body weight of . Its
dental formula
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolog ...
is for a total of 28 teeth.
Biology and ecology
It is nocturnal, foraging at night and roosting in sheltered places such as abandoned mines, old wells, and tree branches during the day. It eats fruits from plant species such as ''
Crataegus mexicana'' and ''
Prunus serotina
''Prunus serotina'', commonly called black cherry,World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the g ...
'' and
cones
A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex.
A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...
from species such as ''
Cupressus'' and ''
Juniperus
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
''. Additionally, it will consume insects.
Range and habitat
It is found in several countries in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
including
Costa Rica,
El Salvador,
Guatemala,
Honduras,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
. It has been documented at elevations from above sea level;
in Mexico, it is most frequently encountered at approximately above sea level.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q146522
Dermanura
Bats of Central America
Bats of Mexico
Mammals described in 1906
Taxa named by Knud Andersen
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot