The Bahaman funnel-eared bat (''Chilonatalus tumidifrons'') 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 bi ...

in the family

Natalidae The family Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats, are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family has three genera, '' Chilonatalus'', '' Natalus'' and '' Nyctiellus''. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as th ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

, in the northeastern

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. It was first discovered by Miller in 1903. They are listed as "

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

" by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

due to the decline in their habitat.

Description and biology

Females gather in maternity colonies where they give birth and care for their single offspring. Average gestation period is around ten months. Birth occurs in the late dry season, suggesting that mating occurs after the late dry season. The offspring are relatively large, often close to 50% of their mothers’ weight. Females are fully responsible for giving care to their newborn. The population of the Bahaman funnel-eared bat is decreasing due to their declining habitat environment. All funnel-eared bats have very large and funnel-shaped ears. These allow them to detect near-silent sounds and return echoes through echolocation. Small papillae cover their ears, increasing auditory sensitivity. Like other animals, they use olfactory and tactile cues to communicate.

Habitat and ecology

This species is not very well known, because they are only located in Bahamian dry deciduous forests. The deep caves where they are found, are hot and moist and are maintained constantly. During active hours, Bahaman funnel-eared bats forage for insects in the dense areas of the surrounding forests. The bats are hard to catch because they are very agile flyers. Nothing is known about Bahaman funnel-eared bats home range, but they live near roosting caves.

Threats

Bahaman funnel-eared bats are threatened due to their reliance on caves, and because of climate change. The main conservation action needed is protecting the cave they live in.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahaman Funnel-Eared Bat Natalus Endemic fauna of the Bahamas Mammals of the Bahamas Batt Near threatened animals Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1903