''Cynomops milleri'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 ...

that is native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Para dog-faced bat. It is considered a small- to medium-sized member of its

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

.Moras, L. M., Tavares, V. D. C., Pepato, A. R., Santos, F. R., & Gregorin, R. (2016). Reassessment of the evolutionary relationships within the dog‐faced bats, genus Cynomops (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Zoologica Scripta, 45(5), 465-480. It is classified as

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature 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 ...

because it appears to be common and widespread. It is found in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

.Eger, J.L. 2008. Family Molossidae. In: A.L. Gardner (ed.), Mammals of South America. Volume I. Marsupials, xenarthrans, shrews, and bats, pp. 399–440. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

Taxonomy

''Cynomops milleri'' was described as a new species in 1914 by American zoologist Wilfred Hudson Osgood. Osgood initially placed it in the genus '' Molossops'', with a scientific name of ''Molossops milleri''. 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 several ...

had been collected by

Malcolm Playfair Anderson Malcolm Playfair Anderson (6 April 1879 – 21 February 1919) was an American zoologist and explorer. Anderson took part in several scientific expeditions, and was chosen in 1904 to lead the Duke of Bedford's Exploration of Eastern Asia. Ea ...

near

Yurimaguas Yurimaguas is a port town in the Loreto Region of the northeastern Peruvian Amazon. Historically associated with the Mainas missions, the culturally diverse town is affectionately known as the "Pearl of the Huallaga" (''Perla del Huallaga''). Yuri ...

, Peru. Osgood noted that the

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

for the species name "''milleri''" was fellow zoologist

Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. (December 6, 1869 – February 24, 1956), was an American zoologist and botanist. He was born in Peterboro, New York, in 1869. His great-grandfather was Gerrit Smith, the wealthy abolitionist, businessman, and politic ...

Its taxonomy has fluctuated since its description, with Moras et al. saying the taxon had one of the most controversial histories of any ''Cynomops'' species. In 1978,

Koopman Koopman is a Dutch language, Dutch occupational surname that means "merchant". The spelling Coopman is more common in West Flanders.Coopman
at ...

considered it a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the Southern dog-faced bat (''Cynomops planirostris''). In 1998, Simmons and Ross published that it was

synonymous A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

with the Para dog-faced bat (''C. paranus''). Most recently, it has been considered a full species.

Description

Overall, it is a smaller member of its genus. Based on 6 males and 17 females, males have an average mass of , and females have an average mass of . Males and females have average forearm lengths of and , respectively. Its back fur coloration varies from dark chocolate brown to light reddish brown.

Range and habitat

''Cynomops milleri'' is found in northern and eastern

where it is found in lowlands.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q43032432 Taxa named by Wilfred Hudson Osgood Mammals described in 1914 Cynomops Bats of South America Mammals of Colombia