Sanborn's bonneted bat (''Eumops hansae''), is a

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). 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 birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

species from

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

. It was first described from a specimen collected at Colonia Hansa,

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, and is sometimes also known as the Hansa bonneted bat.

Description

Sanborn's species is one of the smaller bonneted bats, measuring around in total length, including the tail, and weighing . They have rich blackish-brown fur, which is paler on the belly, and which allows it to be distinguished from the similarly sized, but more lightly coloured,

dwarf bonneted bat The dwarf bonneted bat, or Peters' mastiff bat, (''Eumops bonariensis''), is a bat species from South and Central America. Description As its common name implies, ''E. bonariensis'' is the smallest species of bonneted bat. Adults measure in to ...

s that live in the same general area. Other distinctive features of the species include narrow wing tips, relatively well-developed teeth at the back of the jaw, and a higher jaw joint than in its close relatives. As with other

molossid The Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. The Molossidae is the fourth-largest family of bats, containing about 110 species as of 2012. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong-flyi ...

bats, the tail extends beyond the margin of the wing membranes, and, in this species, is typically about in length.

Distribution and behaviour

Sanborn's bonneted bat is patchily distributed across Central America, and is also found in the southernmost tip of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. In South America, it is found across the northern parts of the continent east of the Andes, including

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

the Guyanas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British, Dutch, and French Guiana respectiv ...

, western

, eastern

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

, and northern

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

. Within this region it inhabits lowland tropical evergreen forests below about elevation. There are no recognised subspecies. Sanborn's bonneted bats eat

Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – gras ...

ns and other insects, which they catch while flying in the upper levels of the

forest canopy In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns. In forest ecology, the canopy is the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and includ ...

. They have also been observed flying over clearings and large bodies of water, and to roost in cavities in tree cavities.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q301946 Eumops Mammals of Colombia Mammals described in 1932 Taxa named by Colin Campbell Sanborn Bats of South America Bats of Central America